Disappearing Act (N.Romanoff)✓

Hail HYDRA

Natasha paced back and forth around the lab. Normani's heart had stopped and Bruce and Tony were trying to save her life. A bunch of other doctors and nurses had entered the room as well to try and restart her heart...they had been at it for 10 minutes. A tear rolled down Natasha's cheek before she quickly wiped it away. She wasn't just feeling for herself, she was feeling for Normani's family. She had a daughter that needed her.

Steve came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "She'll be fine." He said plainly. Natasha just shook her head. "Steve, her heart is phasing in and out, it disappears for certain moments and then comes back. But never for more than fifteen seconds. She could die, man." Steve sighed, holding her hand. "Look at me, i can tell when someone has untamed feelings for someone else, Natasha. I can see so clearly that you like Normani and I understand that you're worried but I promise you, she's in the best possible hands she could be in and I know that she'll come out alive. She's a trooper."

Natasha smiled and nodded when the lab door opened and Bruce came out. "Ok well, we were able to get a hold of her heart and injected her with a stabilizer that should keep her heart from phasing. However, it's a temporary serum and we don't know what's gonna phase next. Long story short, Tony's working on something for her so that she'll stop phasing. However we have no idea what that device could be." He said. Natasha suddenly had an epiphany. "Tony's heart." She suggested. Steve and Bruce looked at her like she was crazy. "I mean...Tony's kind if using it at the moment..." Natasha shook her head. "No I meant that if Tony's arc reactor keeps him breathing then maybe we could do the same thing for Normani, just not something that replaces her heart."

Bruce nodded and walked back into the lab. "In the mean time, what are you gonna do?" Steve asked. Natasha began walking away as she said, "I'm going to find that last injection."

Normani awoke with a splitting headache, which she was no stranger to now. She carefully opened her eyes to see a bunch of doctors and Tony standing around her. She had a breathing tube down her throat and needles all down her arms. She began to panic and that's when they all noticed. "Stay calm! Stay calm!" One of the doctors yelled. She could hear heart pounding in the chest. The heart rate monitors spiraling out of control. That's when Tony cane running over and yanked the breathing tube from her throat.

"What the hell is wrong with you people. She was having a panic attack and you just leave the tube down her god damn throat!" The doctors were silent. "Everyone get the hell out." He instructed. The doctors left and Tony leaned on the hospital bed so they could talk.

"You know, Natasha never left until Bruce assured her that you were stable. You found a real keeper." He smiled. Normani shook her head. "Unfortunately, i don't know what you're talking about." She answered, playing oblivious. Tony shrugged. "Anyway, i have news, not going to tell you weather it's good or bad you can figure that out." Normani nodded. "The first thing is that Natasha found a way to keep you from phasing and we can build it. The other thing is that we still need that other serum for you to stop phasing completely."

Normani just laughed. "So I'm guessing the first one was the good news and the second one was the bad." Tony didn't answer. "It's up to interpretation. On a side note, you're safe to go home for now. We'll notify you when something comes up." Those were the best words Normani had heard in a long time. A smile spread across her face as Tony told her to take her suit and the stabilizer just in case something happened. And then she packed up her stuff, she just had to say goodbye to one person before she left.

"Anyone seen Nat?" She asked, dropping her duffel bag down in the living room. "Nope, left a little while ago, sorry." Clint admitted. Normani nodded, choosing to mask the disappointment behind her seemingly normal expression. "Okay well, tell her I said bye and that there's something in her room when she comes back." She said before wishing them well and catching a cab to her apartment.

"Yeah just a second!" Alisha yelled from inside. "I swear, if it's another Girl Scout I'm gonna throw a shoe at her."
"If it's a Girl Scout get me a pack of thin mints." Elena said.
"You got money?" Alisha asked
"What if it's a Boy Scout?" Maddie asked.
"He better have thin mints..."

Normani laughed as Alisha swung the door open. "Oh guys it's not a scout it's just Normani." A few seconds went by before Alisha jumped in surprise.

"Oh my god, it's Normani!" She cried. Literal tears rolled down her cheeks as Elena bugged through the doorway and grabbed her face in her hands. Tears spread across her face as she hugged her best friend. Alisha joined in on the hug as well. Maddie came up behind them, Sapphire in her arms. "Someone really missed you." She said happily.

Maddie handed Sapphire off to Normani. It was a bunch of happy tears and hugs those next few hours. Elena pulled out the chips and guac and Alisha cut on All America. All was fine until Normani got up to get more chips. Maddie snuck up behind her and started talking.

"I didn't realize you were that sick." She said. Normani nodded, throwing a chip in her mouth. "Sicker than I thought, too. I have to go back later." Maddie mocker concern, which Normani noted.

"Sad. Well, I hope you get better for Sapphire's sake." She began to walk away when Normani stopped her. "I'm sorry, what?" She asked. Maddie laughed. "I only meant that if you're as sick as you say, then your health could really be at risk, thus putting your life at risk. So for Sapphire's sake, I hope you're okay." But Normani wasn't buying it.

"What are you playing at, Maddie?" She asked directly. Maddie stepped closer to her and started whispering. "I know you went to Avengers Tower for help. I know what's happening to you Normani." "So you've been spying on me?" She asked. "I'm simply looking out for you as a friend. And I have some advice for you." Normani almost choked on her guac.

"Why would I take advice from a stalker?" She asked. "Then don't take my advice, but listen." Normani crossed her arms. "I'm listening."

"I'll keep it short and simple. You have a family, and by the looks of it you're time with it is running out. All I'm saying is that maybe you should take the offer that you know is assured." It took her a minute but she finally figured out what Maddie was saying. "You want me to take HYDRA's offer." She said. Maddie shrugged. "I want you and Sapphire's future to be assured. Does it really matter how you do it?"

"It matters that I have to work with a terrorist organization to get that future. The same organization that threatened our future by doing this to me in the first place!" She raised her voice. Maddie nodded. "Look, I hear you. But right now is what you're fighting or.You can't worry about tomorrow if you don't make it through  today. It doesn't matter that HYDRA's a group of terrorist, what matters is that they are offering the cure to something that Tony Stark can't find the key to. How long is it going to be until they give up on you or when they can't find that cure and you're stuck. What about your future then? All HYDRA wants is for you to pledge your allegiance to them, nothing more. And if they ask you to do something then you do it and your future and Sapphire's future is secured. The same thing the Avengers are offering, just HYDRA has it now."

Normani was speechless, mainly because she was starting to see the truth in Maddie's statements. "I'm not here to persuade you, I'm here to inform you of a better opportunity. Not just for you, but for the little girl who missed her mother when she was gone for a week. Imagine what it'll be like if you don't come back at all?" Maddie walked back into the living room and plopped down on the couch. Normani looked though the kitchen at her daughter and smiled. She would be doing this for her. Grabbing the bowl of guac and the chips, she made her way back into the room, sitting next to Maddie.

"Is it to clique to say, hail HYDRA?" 

And a huge smile spread across Maddie's face.