The Dark Assassin | Thor: The Dark World [2]

Chapter 33

"Steve, look, it's too late. Let's just keep going," Ellie said civilly, stepping into the growing situation.

Rogers shot me another glare, then stormed back to the Quinjet. "Regroup at the jet in five minutes." We all started trudging toward the vehicle, my hands curled into fists.  

Angry thoughts chased themselves around in my head, each one of them shouting to be heard. "Tanya. Tanya, come on. Head in the game," I blinked, refocusing and barely avoiding stepping over a root.

"Th--thanks," I muttered.

I sat down in one of the Quinjet's plastic seats, holding my head in my hands. "Hey, you good?" Ellie asked, sitting down next to me.

"My brain feels noisy," I mumbled, and she grimaced.

"Uh...maybe try getting some sleep. That helps me a lot," she suggested. "And if you're mad at Steve, there's not much I can help you with there. Just try not to punch him?"

---

Tanya shivered, curling in on herself and pulling her arms closer. She had been asleep for the past hour, and the temperature had dropped significantly as the day turned to night. Everyone else had on thicker jackets, but Tanya was just in her shirt and jeans.

"Do you think she's okay?" Ellie asked quietly, eyeing her sleeping form.

"Who?" Sam asked, glancing around.

"Tanya. I mean, she just always seems so...sad. I'm just worried something bad happened to her," she mumbled.

"Tanya's a subordinate. The only bad things that have happened to her were a direct cause of her actions," Steve said harshly.

"Steve! Lay off her," Barnes said, standing up in indignation.

"Steve, that kid has a look that I've seen far too often--the look of someone who never thought they were good enough, not deserving enough to be loved. All the kids in the Red Room had it, but I've never seen it this bad," Natasha said quietly. "To answer your question, Ellie--no, Tanya is far from okay but I don't think she'd admit it."

"She's a killer. She doesn't deserve your sympathy," Steve said viciously.

"Does she look like a killer, Rogers? Go ahead, look at her, and tell me that a monster is curled up in that seat," Clint snapped, standing up as well. He was pissed beyond belief that Steve was taking digs at Tanya, especially with her history.

"You saw what she did to those men," Rogers shot back.

"Steve, she's just a kid. A sad, scared little kid who was taught that killing was her only option. Now, we have the chance to make it right. We have the chance to teach her that she has a choice. And I don't know about any of you, but I'm going to step up and do the work. She's broken, so I'm gonna help her pick up the pieces and put them back together."