1: The New Red Room Assassin

Chapter 11

*hey all, major trigger warning for this chapter. It goes into suicide, R*pe, abuse and things. So yeah*

Ana's POV

I shut down when I reentered the cell. My body felt numb, but at the same time totally overwhelmed. Natalia said it wasn't a punishment but I knew it was. I was probably going to get locked in here for days, oh god they might whip me, or drown me. The team were going to convince her to kill me. My brain was so confused. I wanted to complete my mission no matter what the cost, but I also wanted to escape after. I shouldn't care about dying, I have no place in the world, but yet it still scares me slightly. Part of me wanted to trust the Avengers. Wanted this family Natalia talks about. But love is for children. I felt like I was being pushed and pulled in two different directions, the Red Room was my home, it was known, everything made sense, it was familiar. But this, all of this, I don't know how to explain it, something deep inside just feels something here. I don't know what it is. But I've blown it now. Now I just have to wait.

I started to pace around the cell, it wasn't big but I just did laps. I could feel my chest getting tight though.

"You failed" a voice broke silence, her voice made my heart pound. I could hear it in my ears. I felt like my whole body was on fire. My senses heightened but also unable to focus on anything.

"Love is for children" I tried to take deep breaths, I stopped pacing, and tried to get everything to slow down. I just needed everything to slow down.

"You have no place in this world" I couldn't stop it. It was happening again. This wasn't real, it was like Bruce said just an episode. But how do I get it to stop? I crumpled to my knees, screaming and begging for it to stop. I had to find a way, I'd do anything.

Nat's POV

Steve had to leave for a meeting, and the rest of us were just joking around and laughing. I sat there just smiling and occasionally rolling my eyes at their stupidity. I decided to go and shower, as after everything that's happened today I feel like I just need to wash it all off. When I got into my room I checked my tablet to see the CCTV footage of Ana. Screaming filled the room. My whole body froze for a second. Her shouting for it to stop. This wasn't good. She was punching herself, over and over, hard. Then I saw a guard enter.

I practically ran straight to the cells, which was on the totally other side of the compound. When I got there the guards were surrounding her cell, this was worse. They were shouting at her to calm down, and pointing guns at her. When one of the guards saw I had arrived, he came over quickly and debriefed me.

"We heard shouting and ignored it because it wasn't uncommon. But it kept going. When one of the guard went to check she was punching herself in the head, they told her to stop but she was unresponsive. The guard intervened and she attacked him. Stole his weapon and held it to his head, and now there's a stand off" I swallowed. Two incidents in one day. Fuck. I remained calm on my exterior.

"Okay tell the guards to stand down, I'll handle this" I say, walking over to her cell, the guard looked reluctant, but I shot him one look and he immediately called the others to back off.
I wasn't sure exactly was was how I was going to handle this, I could get FRIDAY to call for Wanda...I stood in the threshold of the door,

"Ana..." I said gently,

I saw her eyes widen at noticing me.

"You lied" she spat, I was taken aback slightly,

"Lied about what?" I said calmly, not wanting to escalate the situation.

"You said they weren't going to kill me, this guard comes in with his fucking gun, and tackles me" she said, I noticed how her hands were shaking ever so slightly. She never shakes.