AVENGERS: My Imaginary Friend

7. NATASHA ROMANOFF POV

"I had an imaginary friend named Natalie Rushman, I even used her name as an alias when on certain missions. She had hair that changed from blonde to brown, she had one green and one blue eye. She was stubborn and was being beaten by her father." "You used my name!? How could you do that!?" "I thought you were imaginary!" She takes a breath "So you're Natalia?" "I was, yes. You're Natalie?" "I was." I reach out to take her arm and pull her to the bed, but when I touch her with both yell out in pain.

What hell was that!?

She takes a few steps away from me, her eyes wide "Did you feel that?" I nod "Let's just sit down and talk about this." I sit on one end of my bed and she sits at the other, I start "Last time I saw you was when I met Clint and joined S.H.I.E.L.D, I changed my name so I wasn't immediately recognised." "When I was 15 I called the Police on my dad, he was arrested and I was put in an orphanage until I was 18. When I left I was known as my dad's daughter, everyone hated him, so they hated me. As soon as I was able to afford it I spoke to the Police about changing my identity, they were happy to help, I became Laura and I moved to New York. I started working for a company building security systems, but last year the building was flattened in the alien battle, so I started working here."

All this time I thought I had thought up your life and made you suffer.

"I'm glad you're real, but I still don't understand how." "Neither do I, but you're real and that's what matters." We both smile, but something's still bothering me "Your eyes..." She reaches up and pulls a coloured contact away from her right eye to reveal a green iris "Changing my identity but looking the same doesn't really do any good." "True." "Miss Romanoff." We both jump.

JARVIS! You just gave me a heart attack!

"Yeah?" "Everyone is wondering if you are okay, what should I say?" I look to Natalie "Say that I have a project for them and that'll I'll be right up to explain it." "Yes Miss." She looks curious "You're gonna get the geniuses to figure this out." "That's what they're here for." We head back to the elevator and up to the living room, when we step out Tony looks excited, Bruce looks nervous, Clint and Steve look confused.

"Tony, remember when I went by Natalie Rushman?" "Oh yeah, didn't have Pep fooled." "Well boys, I want to introduce you to my imaginary friend, Natalie Rushman." "Hey."