BLACK WIDOW

quietus

quietus
(n.)
death; something that causes death

•••

"in a fight they are lethal. around each other, they melt."

•••

"Who are you?"

Natalia took a deep shaky breath, afraid of what's to come next.

"James," she said cautiously, her voice as smooth as freshly woven silk. She easily hid her fear. She had been taught to do that by James himself. "James, it me. Don't you remember?"

She spoke to him in English, hoping that it would approach him more familiarly. He didn't respond and she couldn't see him through the dark. He didn't loose any slack on his grip, but she could no long feel his breath. Was he afraid.

Of course he was, Natalia told herself, mentally slapping herself. How couldn't he be. She was scared out of her skin and she knew what was going on. She couldn't even imagine what was going on through his head.

"Why have you been following me? How did you know I'd be in New York? How did you know me? Why do you keep calling me James?" he trailed off. He was confused and his brain was fuzzy. She knew how hard it was to think once your brains been dug around in. She honestly didn't know how he could think. How how could form sentences. She knew how much it hurt. And his mind was so much more damaged than hers.

She reached over with her left hand and placed it on his right, and laid her other hand gingerly on the metal one that was wrapped unharmingly around her neck. He flinched back a bit.

"James I'm not going to hurt you," she said through the dark, spreading out her fingers over his hand, touching her own face. "You can let go and I'll tell you everything."

She dropped her hand from his and let it trace his arm all the way back to where the titanium fused with the burnt flesh of his shoulder. He flinched again, then squeezed her neck hard, and threw her against the wall. Natalia gagged a bit, surprised by his move.

"What should stop me from killing you right here and now," he hissed in a low voice.

"Because I know who you are," she choked. "Because I'm here to save you."

His grip tightened. "Save me from what?"

She wished she could see his face. She wished she could hold him. She wished she could give him all his memories back. That she could stroke his hair and tell him it will be okay.

"From Hydra. From Russia. From yourself," she gasped. "Please James," Natalia gagged.

Ha squeeze harder and Natalia felt tears well in her eyes as the seemed to bulge. "I-I know you know me," she gasped. "I know—I under...stand you. I still... love—you. Please. I'm here to save you."

She began to feel the last bit of life slipping away from her. Tears streamed down her face as her head began to throb.

"P-please," was all she could usher out before it seemed that her body could no longer perform.

Just as her eyelids fell closed, James let her go, letting her fall to the ground. Natalia gasped and choked for air, rolling over on  her back.