Sergeant Barnes: The Last Mission (COMPLETE)

Chapter 53: Natasha

Because of my back, Raven and I were last to the piles, and everyone was already dividing to reset themselves. I could barely walk, even with Raven supporting me, so she grabbed my pile and left hers. She handed me a note, and I read it as she gathered my new suit and gear.

'Romanoff,

'Sorry, we aren't there yet, but we couldn't get through Ohio for some reason. I asked someone to leave a FR-183 in the conference room (second door in the middle hallway). Ask Raven to help you.

'Speaking of, she's off the mission whenever you want her to be. Tell her to log in and clock out, and then she can knock off. Thanks for letting her come

'Be there as soon as we can, Nick'

"Conference room, middle hallway," I told Raven as we started to move again.

We made our way, slowly, to the room, and I was more than relieved to see a medical bed propped up and ready. Sitting on it was the FR-183.

"Think you're hand is steady enough?" I asked her, almost falling onto the bed.

"I think so. Let's put on the burn cream, first, though."

"Burn cream?"

"It was in your pile."

I wasn't about to object.

The cream was so soothing, I nearly fell back asleep as she applied it. Her fingers were rough, but her touch was light and careful. After five minutes, she covered my whole back and arms, and I was only half awake. Then she prepped the FR-183 and began alter the settings.

The FR in the name stood for Flesh Replicator. It was a smaller version of the machine we used to help Clint after we took the HYDRA base in Sokovia, right before the whole mess with Ultron. It used DNA from my body to create new skin tissue that fused with my original skin. It took an extremely steady hand, and a long time to apply, but Raven was an archer. She had patience in spades, and a steadier hand than mine.

I didn't talk to her as she began to replace my burned skin. She needed to focus, and I needed to not move. It was hard, since the process tingled a little bit, but after ten or so minutes, she finished my back, and took a break to let it cool down.

"How does it feel?" She asked.

"Good, for the most part."

"Can you sit up?"

"Let's find out."

She put a careful arm around me, and slowly, I shifted from my stomach to a normal sitting position. It still hurt, but not nearly as much as before.

"This will be easier to do your arms with," she explained, picking up the device and powering it up again. "It shouldn't take as long."

"Thanks, Raven."

She smiled, then began on my right arm.

"Where did everyone else run off to?" I asked her. "Did you see?"

"Mr. Stark and Mr. Parker went to put on the new braced and change, and I think Steve and Bucky are already in the kitchen, waiting for everyone else to finish."

"That reminds me, you can clock out. Fury gave you the 'Okay.' You don't need to be with the group if you need to do something."

She nodded, not breaking her concentration on my arm.

"What happened out there with the fossils?"

She smirked. "Bucky took out the General, and some of his friends, then we got out and tried to follow you to Berlin. Steve stopped us though, and destroyed the truck we were in, so after Bucky helped him go back to normal, we went to a resource base and found the other truck. Steve helped us find back roads back to the airport."

"Sounds easy enough. When did you get cut?"

"Just before we made it to the resource base."

"You should probably go change, after you grab food."

"I will." She finished one arm and moved to the other.

She didn't say anything else. She had said less and less in the five years that I trained her. It kept her safe, and her past a secret, but I knew that she thought much more than she spoke. I didn't want her opponents to know what she was thinking while she was fighting, but I should have realized that she would also be able to hide things from me.

"Nice shot on the generator." She paused, and looked up at me. "I never told you earlier."

She gave a small smile. "Thank you," she said, in a small voice. Then she returned to the FR-183 and my left arm.

"You're welcome," I offered.

It was hard for me to remember to praise her when she deserved it, since I was hardly praised during my training. I try to break the tradition, but I always forget to. It really was a miracle shot, hitting that generator, and someone ought to tell her 'good job,' yet I always slip into correction and criticism. Old habits, but habits I needed to let go of.

She finished my arm, easily, and helped me down from the table. With some difficulty, she helped me change into a new suit, free of burn holes. This one was also fitted with a brace, sewn in to the midsection of the suit.

"Did you tell them about the suit?" I asked her after it was secure.

"Director Fury asked me if there was anything we needed to be left here for us. I asked for a few things for everyone, and for some food in the kitchen."

"You told them to leave the FR."

"I figured it would help."

She began helping me strap on the rest of the gear. If nothing else, Raven is selfless. I should have guessed that she was the reason everyone had what they needed.

She helped me tighten my new boots (since I still couldn't bend down), and we began making our way to the kitchen on the second floor. It hurt slightly, but after a minute of walking, I got used to the feeling and began numbing my senses to it. I hated stairs even more, though. Why couldn't we have used the elevator?