Serpent - An Avengers Fan Fiction

Chapter Eight - Natasha

"Hold still, I'm nearly done," he said softly.

Erina stopped fidgeting.

Bruce pulled the needle taught and looped it several times before cutting the surgical wire. He then covered the wound with a fresh gauze, which Natasha had swiped from the medical bay, and wrapped Erina's leg with a clean bandage - also stolen. "You should have asked for these. They would have given it to you, Natasha."

Natasha was leaning against the wall beside the door, a seemingly casual stance, but in truth she was listening for any signs of life in the corridor beyond. "We didn't have a choice. I am uninjured and they would have wanted to know why I needed it." She paused when she heard footsteps outside the door, but they passed by without stopping. "Fury would have been suspicious."

"And when they find they are missing a ball of surgical wire, a needle, a pack of gauze and several bandages, no one will find that suspicious?" Bruce tidied away the needle and spare bandage before giving Erina a brief smile. "All done. Don't forget to keep it clean."

Erina nodded her thanks and turned away from him.

"They won't notice."

Bruce sighed and made to leave.

"Thank you, Bruce," Natasha laid a hand on his arm, "for helping her."

"My pleasure."

Natasha frowned and moved her hand to the door handle so Bruce could not leave. "Is everything ok? You seem...out of sorts."

"Of course. I am just tired, that's all."

Natasha examined his face, and found more than just fatigue in his eyes. He looked...somewhere else. Bruce had always had a mournful look about him, which was only to be expected from a man who avoided other people like the plague, but today he seemed lower than usual. "No, it's more than that. Come on, you can tell me."

"Really, I'm fine. I didn't sleep much this morning." Bruce assured her. She released the door handle and he reached for it, put then something made him pause. "Actually," he turned back to Erina, "have you ever been to England?"

After a brief hesitation Erina replied, "Once, but only for an hour or so, and I never left the airport. I was getting a connecting flight to Iceland."

Bruce sighed again and directed his next question at Natasha. "And you two are definitely sisters, right?"

Natasha nodded once. "Not a word to Fury," she warned.

"Not a word," Bruce repeated, and then he left, shoulders hunched, hands in his pockets.

Natasha shut the door behind him and rounded on her sister. "You know him."

It was not a question.

Erina looked back at her, clearly confused. "Who? That doctor?" She replied in their native tongue.

"Bruce, yes," Natasha said in the same language. "You must know him - he clearly knows you." She had been sure that Bruce and her sister had seen each other before, but Erina's confused expression threw her.

"Trust me, sister. I don't know him." Erina shifted on the bed so that she could sit up against the head board. "Three strangers came into this room early this morning, and one stranger left just now. We've never met."

Natasha gave in. She had not seen any sign of recognition in Erina's eyes when Bruce had been there. Perhaps she had mistaken her sister's pain and discomfort for something else. "Fine." Natasha dropped down onto the bed and fixed Erina with a look. "Now tell me who those men were."

Erina looked away. "I will tell you nothing."

"Eri, I killed three men last night. I'd like to know who they were."

"Since when did you care about who you killed, Black Widow." Erina spat.

Natasha winced. "A few years ago, many would have said that about me. But no matter who I killed I always knew who they were. I had names at least, if not full profiles. These men? No idea."

"Who they are is not important."

"Then what is?"

Erina paused and met her sister's gaze. "Who they work for."

"Someone wants you dead." Natasha's eyes widened. Her little sister. Is this my fault? Natasha thought, Is someone trying to get to me through her? The thought made her sick.

"If they can't bring me in alive first."

Two short knocks reached them and Natasha shot up. "Bathroom," she ordered her sister. Erina did not need telling twice. She stepped inside the ensuite and shut the door quietly. Once her sister was out of sight, Natasha opened the door to find agent Barton outside.

He smiled when he saw her. "You stood me up last night." He said. "I'd planned a midnight helicopter ride to New York City. I had to go on my own."

That made her smile. "You have my apologies. I had a family emergency," she replied, kicking herself inwardly as soon as she said it. Family emergency? Why the hell did you say that?

Luckily, Clint seemed not to notice. "Fury wants you on the bridge."

Natasha resisted the urge to look back as she left her room. She hoped Erina would not go wandering after her once she realised her sister was gone.

Clint set the pace and Natasha fell into step beside him. They walked in silence for most of the way, and Natasha allowed herself to hope that Clint had missed her mention of family. But alas, he brought it up a few minutes from the bridge.

"I thought the Black Widow had no family."

Natasha balked. "I don't."

"Last time I checked you needed a family to have a family emergency," Clint snorted.

"I got pulled out. Re-assigned to some minor task last night," Natasha thought quickly.

"Natasha, you asked me to cover for you. I think Fury would have known if you had been re-assigned."  

She kicked herself again. How had she forgotten that? Natasha knew that sooner or later she would have to tell Clint about Erina. She trusted him more than anyone in the world, but where her sister was concerned, Natasha did not know who to trust.