𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐂 𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌

𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧

- ⧗  NATASHA ROMANOFF ⧗ -

THE LIDS OF NATASHA'S EYES FELT HEAVY as they stared at the computer screen. She'd been at her desk for hours, working all afternoon on the mission report for Maria. If she was being honest, she should have had a nap earlier, following another night of disordered sleep, but she was determined to get this done. If she could check this off her checklist, then she could prioritise Zariah.

Zariah. The name was Russian, a beautiful one at that. Natasha almost couldn't believe she now knew it. Finally, this girl was warming up to her. The hope glimmered in her heart that maybe she could still save her.

Fingertips danced across the keyboard as Natasha finished up the report. They were often tedious work but this one Natasha found particularly difficult. To write about this girl, Zariah, chipped away at Nat, each word like a prick to her heart.

Already, the girl seemed different. Still as angry and reticent, but less so from aggression and more from confusion. At least, from what Natasha could see. The look in her eyes gave it away, like her soul was battling a new demon it had never faced.

And she was having nightmares too. Natasha knew all too well about them, how real and frightening they could be. Many a night she'd woke screaming, haunted by the ghosts of her past. The ghosts always came back while you slept.

Nat wondered what exactly Zariah dreamed about, what horrors filled her head. Were they the same as hers? Worse?

She wondered when her nightmares had started? Had she always had them, just like Natasha had? Or was it true she was the cause? Had her input began to warp the girl's mind, causing her to see things maybe she hadn't before? All questions Natasha wanted to know but accepted she probably never would.

With the clock ticking by, Natasha finally closed down her completed report. She'd included the footage provided from the CCTV cameras, analysing the girl's behaviour. Glad to be finished, she sent it over to Maria, then rose from her chair, reminded of another item on her list of things to do.

The walk across the compound was noisy, a lot of their agents finishing up from the day and heading home. As Natasha passed them in the halls, she overhead conversations of dinner ideas and evening plans. How nice it must be to ask life's simplest questions.

Natasha's pace picked up as she got closer to the surveillance room, silently hoping that a specific agent might not have clocked out yet. After a small knock, Natasha opened the door.

Sat in his same chair, the agent spun around to face Nat. Immediately he looked rather scared. "Agent Romanoff," he said, startled. "I'm sorry about earlier. I was just following protocol and-"

Natasha cut him off by raising her hand. "Relax. I don't care about you telling on me to Fury."

The agent let out a sigh as his posture relaxed, falling back into his chair.

"I'm just here to ask a question," Natasha continued.

"Sure," the agent replied. "What is it?"

"Is there any way I can link the camera feed of the girl's room to my laptop?"

The agent spun around in his chair to face the computers. "Uhm, yeah, sure. If you give me your laptop I can hook it up."