Hydra's Widow

Chapter Eleven

 Most of the Avengers were still learning sign, they have been working with me in the afternoon and Barton helped out with the lessons. I've also been trying to teach myself to read lips, but I had made little to no progress with that.

*

I was trying to pay attention to the laughter at the breakfast table, but a tap on the table turned my attention to Barton.

"Bruce wants to do your medical exam today," Barton informed me through sign.

"You be there," I half demanded, his eyes softened towards me. "Please?" I asked more politely. He nodded.

Breakfast continued, Barton interpreting as needed. After everyone was done eating, I go to my usual spot on the couch, picking up a book from the side table. The book was all about fantasy. Wizards, magic, spells, challenges, friendships, enemy's, things that I wish I had when I was Harry's age...

It sounded like his aunt and uncle was abusive, why didn't someone else take his precious soul? Did they not care? Did they do that because of prophecy? I guess I'll never know what Dumbledore thought as he gave Harry to that cruel family.

 I turned my attention to actually reading the pages I almost felt sorry for the boy. 

'Is this how the Avengers see me? That I'm some sort of loss cause, or that I may be more valuable than I may seem?'

After finishing up a chapter I looked up to see the television on, it seemed to be something related to the Avengers. The screen flashes with pictures of the team, posters hung from a wall. Some of them saying hatful words to the Avengers, that they are something of danger to citizens?

I felt the tension in the air as everyone's attention is on the screen. I looked to Barton, waving my hand in the air. I get his attention, "Captions?" I asked him, he nodded. The lower section of the screen now has words popping up.

[People had put up posters to celebrate and or protest the day the heroes assembled in this very spot in 2012] the male reporter on the screen reported, facing the wall with posters. [Some may say these heroes are dangerous, killing machines, but others argue that they are saviors, protectors of the city. More when we come back.]

2012, the year that changed Hydra, worshipping Loki for what he brought to the table for us. They praised the god for bringing chaos to the world, to help take the spotlight away from the organization that would become a much bigger threat than it was.

Rumlow thought the scepter could bring more power to Hydra. That would be the case if they knew how to use its full power, but we didn't have the time with it to figure that out.

I got up to leave, but before I could Dr. Banner walked into the room, Barton took my hand in his, leading me to the doctor. I looked to Barton for more reassurance, he gave a soft smile. Dr. Banner led the way to his lab (or something). Tacking stairs, turns we finally reached the room.

I see equipment laid out on a table, machines all around the room. Barton directed me to a bed that's closes to me. I hesitantly sat down, starting to get that pit feeling in my stomach.

It started good, Barton calming me down, telling me each step, but that went south when Dr. Banner pulled out some needles for blood samples. I scooch away from him, as I shook my head.

Rumlow sat me in a chair, he bound my hands to the chair. He looked at the doctor that was in charge there. I couldn't make out what they were saying, I kept looking around, seeing an IV tube hooked up to a machine. My heart rate increased, my hands began to shake, the doctor came to my side to dig the needle into my vein, whatever was in that serum burned to the point I screamed, I couldn't hear it, but it startled the guards, at the door.

This is not how Widows were treated.

They kept injecting me with the serum until they saw it wasn't working, they saw no entertainment in this, so they stopped. Sweat dripping down my body, tears falling on my cheeks, my heart still racing, I felt as though I may pass out. I was finally dragged on my back down the hall into an empty cell.

I move quickly off the bed, frantically trying to make sense of my surroundings. I looked to see Barton, Dr. Banner hides in a corner on the other side of the room. I didn't know if I should run or stay, my brain said 'run' but my body said 'stay'. My body won that discussion as I froze in the middle of the room. It seemed the time froze as well, as it felt like hours before Barton was the first to make one move towards me. 

"It's ok, you're safe," he signed slowly, taking small steps towards me. 

I shook my head, denying myself of this fact. I'll never be safe; the memories will haunt me until the end of me, Hydra will find me, they never lose anything permanently, they always seemed to "find" their way back. 

When Bartons stepped lead him to me in front of me, he embraces me in a hug, I try to pull away gently, but he holds me tight, not in a restricting way, but calming, caring, way. 

"Safe," I feel him sign on my back.