The Deadly Nightshade | { BOOK 1 of The Flower series }

[25] Tests pt. 2

Natasha's stance faltered as she stared at Jade with her jaw dropped. Usually, nothing would shock her that much, and if something did, she wouldn't show it. But when she heard the name that twelve-year-old Jade knew her as, she couldn't stop herself. Of course, Sam, Steve, and Wanda were perplexed on why Rhodey, Tony, and Natasha held happy and shocked expressions.

Jade had remembered a little bit of her past.

"W-What did you just call me?" Natasha asked as she walked a little closer to Jade.

Jade furrowed her eyebrows together in thought. She couldn't stop thinking about seeing Tony in the memory as he called her 'JJ' and she saw Happy there beside her, even Pepper was there. Of course, she didn't know who the blonde woman in the memory was, but she was there. Jade looked up at Natasha. "Natalie. Your name is Natalie Rushman."

Steve scrunched up his eyebrows, shaking his head. "Jade, her name is Natasha Romanoff. I think you're—"

Natasha flashed him a warning glare, and he closed his mouth as he shifted his blue eyes back and forth between Natasha and Jade. The redhead looked back at Jade with a soft smile. "Yes, you knew me as Natalie Rushman. You're correct, but I am Natasha Romanoff. I was your dad's notary, then became Ms. Potts' assistant. . .do you remember her?"

Jade lowered her gaze, thinking hard on who exactly Ms. Potts could be. Her mind raked nothing other than the four people that were in the gym of Tony's Malibu home with her. "Is she blonde?"

Tony grinned brightly as he nodded. "Yes!"

"Was she there with us when Natali— er, Natasha flipped me over in the boxing ring?" Jade questioned, shifting her gaze onto Tony.

"Yes!" Natasha and Tony exclaimed together as Tony stretched out his smile as big as it could go.

Jade cracked a smile, but it faded away when she realised something else. The voice that always echoed in her mind when she trained against other soldiers and the Winter Soldier has said the same thing in that boxing ring. She squinted her eyes at Tony, piecing what she had together.

She was starting to realise that the images that flashed through her mind weren't just something random. When she noticed that all eyes were on her, she got shy all of a sudden. Natasha, Rhodey, and Tony were hoping that she would remember anything else, while the others stared with curiosity.

Wanda hadn't known that Jade had met Natasha before or even knew her from that long ago. She noticed Jade's form shrink from all of the stares, and she flickered her eyes away. She cleared her throat. "I think it's my turn," she said, drawing the attention away from Jade. The younger girl sent her a grateful smile at her, and Wanda sent her a nod.

Tony nodded in agreement as he wrote down the time on the data paper. Jade walked off of the mat, and Tony smiled down at her as Steve coached Wanda. "So you remember something, huh?"

"I guess I did," Jade returned the smile.

Natasha held up a finger as Steve was about to blow the whistle. She turned to face Jade. "What's your name?" She asked Jade. She was reciting what she had said to Jade after when she flipped Jade over in the boxing ring.

Jade shifted her amber eyes on the assassin. "Subject JS2."

Natasha sighed as she shook her head at Tony. Tony sent her a tight smile. They both knew that the memory had stopped before Jade had introduced herself to Natasha. The assassin focused back on Wanda, and they started their sparring session.

* * *

Tony and Steve had given the girls a fifteen-minute break before moving onto the surprise test. It was mainly to get it ready because they had to get an unused Quinjet. Wanda had laid down beside Jade on the grass as they stared up at the clear blue sky and the sun beating down on them. "Since we're finally alone, can we talk about what happened in our bedroom?" Wanda asked as she turned her head to the side to face Jade.