Dont Be a Hero

Memory Loss

   The door of the small cell-like room rattled and then swung open, allowing Anthony entry. He stepped inside and smiled at Natasha. She was pacing back and forth, with Lonan, the raven, perched on her shoulder. She turned to face Anthony and stood still.

 "Are you going to let me out of here, Anthony?" she cooed at him, doing her best to sound sweet.

 "Actually, yes." he replied. "We are going to put you in a much nicer room where you'll have a full bathroom and a comfortable bed."

 "What?!"

 "You would... rather stay here? In this one?"

 "No, you idiot!" She spoke through clenched teeth. "I want you to let me go. I want to call Harley."

 "Well... that might prove difficult. Seems he's disappeared."

 She stood there staring at him, her mouth agape. Suddenly she turned and faced the other way, arms crossed. "You're lying. I'll try calling him. He always answers my calls. He'll pick up his phone."

 "I'm afraid that wherever he went, he didn't take his phone. Or let anyone know he was leaving." Anthony took a step toward her. "We have a theory... but it isn't something we can be sure of. It isn't a pleasant theory, either."

 She swung back around to face him. There was worry lining her face. "What is the theory? Do you think something's happened to him? What do you think happened? Tell me!"

He shrugged and held a hand out to her. "Why don't we go take a look at your new room? Sit down there and have some tea. We can talk about it."

 "I don't want TEA! I want to know what happened to Harley!" But as she spoke she walked toward the door, indicating that she would go with him even if it wasn't to her freedom. Anything would be better than where she was. They left the small cell and Anthony led her down the hall to an elevator.

 "I think you'll enjoy your stay with us far more if you are in a more comfortable room." He winked down at her, smiling.

 "I don't know what you people want with me. I already told you. I'm not some superhero." Natasha tossed her head as she spoke.

 "No. No, you aren't. Not now. But you can be. I think you will be. You just need some reprogramming."

 "Oh, I see. You people intend to brainwash me. Is that how you recruit all of your team members?"

 They were entering the elevator. Anthony pressed a button for one of the upper level floors and stepped back. He gave her a sidelong glance before replying.

 "Natasha, you have already been brainwashed, my dear. We intend to undo the damage Harley Chase has inflicted on you. We hope to restore you to your prior mindset."

 "That's ridiculous! You can't just undo everything he's done to me! What do you plan to do? Erase my memory?" She snorted, derisively.

 "Not anything as drastic as all that. Well, hopefully not, anyways." He gazed at her, his face completely serious. "We will. If that is what it takes. That isn't our preference, but if it comes to that, yes. We would erase your memories in order to undo the harm."

 She looked at him and cocked her head. "So, basically you are saying I'm no longer a free woman. I no longer have the right to a choice?"

 "You never did. You were born with a gift. An ability that makes you a very powerful individual. It is your purpose and duty to protect innocent people and to help bring about this new evolution. Bring it into a society that has been purged of evil. We are pioneers. The first of a new stage in human development. We have to bring balance to human nature. Otherwise, it could be chaos."