A Russian Lullaby

I Know You I Tried To Kill You Once

Natasha was eventually able to compose herself enough to accept the mission that Fury had assigned her and Barton to. It was a standard kill-op. Of some Soviet spies. They left later that afternoon. As they walked out of the control room Clint pulled Natasha to the side of the hallway.  

  "Listen, I'll go talk to that girl for you. See if it's really true that she was in-" he gulped "the program." Barton said. Natasha sighed.  

  "No, let me I'll-" Natasha tried to argue, but was interrupted again by Clint.    "You go take a breather." He said, not giving her any room to argue. She gave him the instructions to the recruit quarters, and she quickly left the control room, with the specs for the mission tucked away in her arms.

Barton quickly made his way down to the recruit quarters, determined to sort this mess out so they could get on with their mission. To help Natasha figure this mess out, he hated when she dwelled on her past. If this girl brought up horrible memories, he'd have to do something about it...He finally made it to the door Natasha identified as the girls'. He brought his hand up swiftly to knock, but before he could lay his hand on the door, the door swung open. A girl with bright green eyes and brown hair stared up at him, her eyes shine with immediate shock. He was about to apologize, when something clicked in his mind. As he gazed upon the girls face, it started to change. He watched as it morphed into a cruel smile,

As she shot him in the leg.

He stumbled out of the door way, the girl gasped in shock. He whirled around to face her once more, and as she looked in horror at his face, her eyes grew wide. 

  "Oh My God" she choked out slinking back into the door frame. Clint looked at her, in pure horror recounting the night he had seen this girl, on the rooftops of New York. She had laughed co cruelly as she shot him, and then jumped out of sight. The girl he was looking at now showed nothing of the coldness he had seen on that roof.   

"You." He shook out of his slight daze "You're that girl who shot me" he stated. The girl shrunk away from him, but glared up at him.  

  "Yes" she confirmed "but that was in the past. I have left- that program" she barely whispered the second part. Clint widened his eyes, realizing how much this girl reminded him of Natasha. She even had the same eyes-  

"So you were in the Black Widow program. The Red Room?" He asked, moving closer to the doorway. The girl nodded slowly, wincing as he had said the names. 

  "Natasha was too" she whispered. Clients gaze softened, and he propped himself up in the doorway.  

  "Yes. Yeah, she was." He answered. "She's is shocked that a girl as young as you would survive in that place" he said. The girl gave a grimace.  

"If it wasn't for my parentage, I wouldn't have even been there" she muttered, just loud enough for Clint to hear.     

"Your parentage?" Clint questioned. The girl crossed her arms over each other and held his gaze.   

  "My mom, was the first person they gave the serum to" she stated "They said she was the best. But she died when I was four"  she recalled, her eyes never leaving Clint's face. Clint's heart beat faster, something about that sentence wasn't right. He noticed that the girls' eyes were growing sad. 

  "What's the matter?" He asked, beginning to feel uncomfortable. The girl visibly pushed down her emotions. 

  "Мне очень жаль" she muttered in Russian. Clint raised his eyebrow,  

"Come again?" He asked. The girl smiled sadly.

   "I'm so sorry" she translated slowly. "I shot you" Clint shook his head.  

"You mustn't beat yourself up over a mistake made in the past" he tried to slightly comfort the girl, shivering slightly as he realized it was because she reminded him so much of Natasha.  

"No" the girl said shaking her head. "You don't understand." She took a shaken breath but continued. "At the time when I shot you, I was very messed up. I actually enjoyed what I was doing. I didn't care who I used my skills for, or on. I caused you pain, and enjoyed it. And for that I'm sorry" her voice cracked at the last part.   

"You are just like Natasha" he whispered, but she did not seem to hear. He placed a hand on the girls shoulder. 

  "Listen. Here you will be fine. We will train you, you will be safe. You will never be a bad person again" he stated with confidence.   

"How can you be so sure?" She asked. Clint smiled slightly.  

  "I've seen it happen before" he said. The girl smiled. Clint let his hand fall off her shoulder.    "Look I just want to let you know, me and Natasha are going on a mission." The girls eyes widened, "So if you want to come up and say goodbye or something to Natasha, I'll lead you up." He offered. The girl agreed without hesitation. Clint smiled, and with the sound of the door closing behind them, he set off towards the control room.