ROMANOGERS: PAST TO PRESENT

Chapter Seven

Scarlett's POV

With the sudden lead on where to look we were tasked in deciding where the best place was to start. Having been dismissed I remained seated in my chair. The box rested in my lap and I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. I glanced up noticing Natasha studying me. I gave her a small smile carefully picking up the blue box I rested it gently on the table.

"What do you want me to do with it?" I asked. She pursed her lips in contemplation.

"Leave it here." She said swallowing hard.

"You know what happenned to her don't you?" I asked quietly changing seats so that I was sitting across from her. She gave me a guarded look, one I had used many times myself.

"I can guess." She breathed closing her eyes and resting her head in her hand. I took her free hand in mine and this seemed to surprise her.

"I have a feeling you know what that was Nat. I think you know exactly what that was. I won't make you tell me, I wouldn't do that to you because I understand. Just know that there will be a time when you need to tell us. Don't make this a wild goose chase." I searched her eyes and I could see mixed emotions. Hurt, understanding, hopelessness. All of those were swirling around inside her and it was only a matter of time before she broke. "You know where to find me if you need anything."

With a wink I rested the box on the table and left her alone with her thoughts. As I was walking down the hall I bumped into Tony.

"Oh, there you are. Just asked the others what they decided. Do you want a say in where we start?" I shrugged.

"Any where is fine with me as long as we figure this out and get answers." He nodded passing me by and headed for Fury's office. Sighing I headed toward the training room where I saw Clint and Thor practicing. Clint fired off a round of arrows each of them hitting their respective mark. Thor was busy wacking away at an enhanced punching bag with his hammer. A resounding thud each time he hit it.

Heading to the back corner I knelt on the padded surface of a mat and closed my eyes. Breathing in and out I focused on nothing and everything at the same time. Letting my mind wander I picked up the different energies radiating from the tower. In the room I was in it was filled with Clint's focus and precision along with Thor's quiet power. In the next room was Steve. He was anxious his mind racing. Curious I prodded further into what was bothering him.

After a moment or to I realized he was beating himself up over the girl from this morning. He felt helpless and ashamed that he couldn't do anything after all it was his job to keep everyone safe. Mixed in there though was the cause of his anxiety. He was worried about facing this new found threat. He knew he could do it but the question was at what cost? Leaving him alone and deciding that it was none of my business to prod any further I found Tony and Fury.

Fury was calm taking in everything that Tony had to say about our decision and the events that played out earlier this morning. Tony was full of impatience and eagerness. He wanted to get on the job right away and figured that even if Fury said no he would still rally the team. Fury knew this but still wanted to hear Tony's reasoning. Shifting my thoughts yet again I picked up another set of emotions entirely.

There was sadness, a desperate need for comfort but hating the need for it, a sense suffocation at the burden she was forced to carry, determination and feirceness at wanting to bring justice to who had hurt the girl, and an overall sense of confusion. Getting to my feet it took me a moment to shake off what I had witnessed. That was one downfall to my power when I went poking around in other people's business. Everything they felt I did too. In a way it was a gift seeing as how I had a better understanding of people than most.