Night Visions

Chapter 6

"What did you do?"

Vision turned from the window to find that he wasn't alone. "Ms. Romanoff. I didn't hear you come in."

"Really? And here I am not even trying."

"My apologies. I have been... distracted." He turned back to the glass, watching her reflection. They stood in the compound's primary research facility, its windows overlooking the training rooms below. Stark was gone, but he had supervised its construction, ensuring that the new laboratory would be state-of-the-art. At this hour it was deserted, but even so he found the glow of the idle machines soothing, their endless hum nearly enough to drown his thoughts. It was not the room where he had been born, but it was very much like it.

Romanoff strode across the room and leaned against the counter beside him. "So you're not going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"Wanda's upset. It's kind of hard to miss. And given the way things have been going, I'm guessing that has something to do with you."

"I did not mean to trouble her."

"Is that what that was? Trouble?"

"It does seem to be an inherent quality of such entanglements."

Romanoff laughed. "That it does."

"Tell me, has there been word from Dr. Banner?"

She stiffened. "You know there hasn't."

He turned to look down at her. "I did not mean to offend. I'm afraid my experience in these matters extends only so far as what I witnessed between you and the doctor. That and what Jarvis could recall of Mr. Stark's... exploits."

"Wow. Guess I should feel bad for you, then. But that doesn't change the fact that when I walked past her room tonight the walls were quivering. You know we still don't know the full extent of her abilities."

"Something we have in common."

"Yeah, you're real cute together." Romanoff smirked. "Maybe I'm not the right person to be saying this – trust me when I say I'm not the best example – but there's a certain responsibility that comes with being in a relationship, even a semblance of one. Especially with someone like Wanda..."

"Was it what I sensed between you and Dr. Banner? Responsibility?"

"Yes. At first." She shrugged, looking up to meet his eyes. "It was my call. I played the lifeline. And with stakes like that, I should have expected things to get... confused."

"Does it get better? The confusion?"

She chuckled. "No. Usually it gets worse. Most things do. These missions that Steve and I have been running... they've brought up certain things from my past, things I had forgotten. Confusing is putting it mildly."

"Hm."

"But if there's something you want to talk about..."

"Probing for information, Ms. Romanoff?"

"Just an offer. No strings." She winced at the words, even as she said them. "Thought you might like a friend." Pushing off from the counter, she turned to go.

"Yes." He saw her reflection pause and turned to face her. "Yes. I think I would like that very much. Though I doubt that I am even capable of such a thing."

"Really? That's what this is about?"

He stared down at his hands. "I... enjoy our work, being part of the team. But I am a machine, incapable of true human affection. It has recently come to my attention that to pretend otherwise would be a disservice to those around me."

"So that's it? Flesh and blood for a few months and you're already giving up?"

"I am not—"

"You are." She stepped closer, tilting her head to look up at him. "And I've been there. I've been... hollowed out, until there's nothing left."

"Respectfully, it is not the same."

"Maybe not. But close enough. I was a very bad person for a very long time. Anything else had been stripped away. But that's not the part that matters. We can self-analyze all we want, question what we're capable of, what we deserve... but if there's someone who makes us forget that, someone who can find a way through the walls, you don't waste your time second guessing." Her smile was sad. "It took me a long time to realize that."

"But if it isn't real?"

"Oh, it's real. I've seen you two." She smirked. "I'm a spy, remember? I'm good at reading people. Even you."

He stared down at her, for the moment stunned to silence. There was no lie in her posture, in the rhythm of her heart. She truly believed what she was saying.

"I... thank you."

"Yeah? Then maybe you should go apologize before she brings the building down around us."