The Black Widow

What boy?

"That serum you gave her... it's flawed." She says.

"Which one?" he says waving her off. His work is flawless

"The one that was supposed to take away her emotions."

She still wasn't really feeling anything but Natalia was much to close for comfort. Some of her feelings were physically manifesting and other times they would be there but she just wouldn't understand their meaning like the other girls so she didn't act on them. It still resulted in what seemed like an emotionless little girl but it could so easily go wrong.

He clicks his tongue, "It doesn't take away her emotions it-" He continues talking about with big words that mean nothing to her. Something about brain chemistry.

"That isn't the point!" She yells fed up with his constant useless chatter and snide remarks, "The point is it isn't working"

"Have you seen her? She is terrifying. It's working." 

"Yes, I have seen her. More than you."

"Well, then you know that she isn't feeling anything." This is absurd. She nods to stop barging in like this with her false accusations. She is trying to get him fired and in this line of work that wouldn't mean he is unemployed.

"How can you not see it? The small little flashes. The physical manifestations. The lack of sleep."

"When?" He would have noticed a flaw in his work. He's sure of it.

"Like when she is with Mariya or even when she was with Alexei. Or right after she kills one of the others. And even with the things she does. She lets her opponent beat her up before she kills them."

He sighs, "so what's the big deal, she can't recognize the feelings anyways. Just give her more specific orders when it comes to the fights."

"That's not the point! If something terrible or something great happens it could all come flooding back. All of it. She'll be ruined."

"So up the doses." These solutions are so easy. She needs to stop bothering him.

He just refuses to believe that anything is wrong. "I have, but it is already causing so much controversy among the other girls. We aren't sure what would happen. We never ran scenarios for this situation."

"Why not?"

"Because we made the mistake of assuming you serums would work."

He rolls his eyes, "Let's just hold on for a second. We don't even know if my serum isn't working. Let's do a test before we jump to conclusion. Bring the boy back and see if she has any more feelings. They tell me he wants to see her again anyway."

I am lying on my bunk while everyone else is outside enjoying their free time. I told Mariya to go have fun. I really have no interest in having fun. I would probably just end up by myself anyway. No one but Mariya will even look me in the eye.

 I hear footsteps but I don't look at who just came in. Instead, I try to guess. They are light, too light to be an adult so they belong to a child. But they don't sound like the other girls either. These are quick and bouncy. The girls never walk like that. I have heard footsteps like these before but can't quite place them.

Before I can figure it out I see Alexei's face appear upside down above my own.

He smiles, "Hello Natasha! How have you been?"

When I look at him everything becomes lighter. I can feel my mouth starting to curve upward but I stop it quickly, snapping it back into its normal position.