The Child of Many Worlds

Chapter 5: And This Is Why We Don't Play in the Pool

Next came general knowledge, Natasha quizzed her on anything from traditional topics like science and math, to worldly topics like formal dancing and the ability to cook. Percy did well in school subjects and was around three years ahead of what should be expected from a child her age. She was also able to do simple household chores such as cooking and cleaning, however she had never received a "noble" instruction. She would have to be taught about various hierarchies and the behaviors that were expected for each one, dinner etiquete, formal dancing and a variety of other "high-class" knowledge, so that she could easily mingle with the upper crust of society.

When Percy's abilities with technology were tested, Natasha was blown away. The child typed faster than most adults, had a considerable knowledge with how computers were physically built and actually surpassed Natasha when it came to coding and programing. Something that was no easy feat.

Finally it came time to test Percy's physical capabilities. First her flexibility was tested, she was young so she was naturally flexible, but she also had quite a few double joints, allowing her to contort her body in ways most people couldn't even dream of. Her strength was also surprising, contrary to her thin frame, the girl could manage fairly large weights. However if her strength was surprising, her reflexes were out of this world. She could almost react before she saw the danger.

By the end of the day if Natasha had, had any reservations about training Percy, they were long gone. The girl had met her expectations and blown past them, in some cases even reaching the level of a trained agent. So as a reward for both of them Natasha went and got swimming clothes for them before diving headfirst into the pool. Percy changed and followed suit.

Percy was like a fish in the water and acted like one too, flying from one end of the pool to the other unimpeded by the laws of physics. Natasha found the girl's antics hilarious, and wasn't able to resist splashing her. After a silent moment Percy launched herself at Natasha sending huge waves towards her, sparking an all out splash fest. Natasha wasn't able to remember the last time she'd had so much innocent fun, at least until Percy accidentally kicked her leg, right on the bullet wound.

She felt the ripped flesh move and knew her stiches had broken, her suspicions were confirmed when the surrounding water quickly went from clear to scarlet. With a groan she made her was to the side of the pool, leaving a stunned and unmoving Percy in the middle of the red water. She tried to pull herself out of the water, but after ripping her stiches for the second time in less than twenty-four hours her injured leg was having none of it.

Percy finally broke out of her statue like state and rushed over to the bleeding woman. She felt terrible about injuring her, but she didn't quite know how she had, at least until she remembered her bleeding leg on the catwalk. Percy wanted to swear at the woman, how could she be so reckless! Still she did her best to stay calm and help Natasha before she lectured her.

As Natasha saw Percy making her way over to her she tried to tell her to get the first aid kit in a cupboard near the door, but as she started to speak a wave of dizziness swept over her and kept her from talking. She knew she was in a bad state, judging from how quickly she was bleeding out, she must have hit an artery. Knowing how dangerous the situation was she once again tried to speak, but was met with the same reaction. Her consciousness was now going dangerously black around the edges and she knew it was only a matter of time until she succumbed to blood loss.

By the time Percy reached Natasha, she was struggling to keep her head upright and her eyes were unfocused. Blood was staining the water like a morbid depiction of a flower. Realizing how serious the situation was, Percy frantically looked around for a first aid kit or a phone but saw none. She tried to lift the woman out of the water but the difference in weight was simply too much. She was panicking, she didn't know what to do! She had finally meet someone other than her mom who liked her and wanted to teach her things! It was so unfair, why couldn't she just live!

As Percy's emotions reached a crescendo and Natasha started to fall into the darkness a gentle blue light grew from where Percy's hands were pressing on the wound. The light mixed with the red water pulling it in. Before Percy's very eyes Natasha's blood was being taken from the water and sent back into her body. With each second that passed Natasha's complexion was changing from a waxy bleached white to her former light tan. As the last of the blood was taken from the pool, Natasha woke up, just in time to see her torn flesh knit itself back together. Knowing she shouldn't be alive, she looked at the Percy in shock, only to see her sporting the same expression.

The two pulled apart, Natasha to see if her leg was actually fine and that she wasn't dead and Percy to stare at her hands. Both knew something had happened, something that shouldn't be possible, yet they didn't know what.

Percy was terrified, just another thing to make her a freak. She couldn't just be normal, no, she had to have weird powers along with being polygender and ADHD and dyslexic. Even if she had saved Natasha's life, she knew it was only a matter of time until she was abandoned.

Natasha was mostly confused, an emotion not often experienced by a world class assassin. She was sure she would die and that there was nothing she could do about it, yet there she was, alive and actually feeling better than she had before. The only explanation she could think of was that Percy had done something and from the look on her face she had no idea what. After a while Natasha decided that Percy's newfound powers were a good thing. They could train her powers just as they could her body and in time they could make her a force to be reckoned with.

Natasha turned around wanting to talk to Percy and found her staring at the surrounding water, looking like a kicked puppy. The assassin's heart softened, just a little, and realized while she had been thinking about harnessing her power, Percy was scared. She made her way over to the girl and when she reached out to touch her, she flinched. That was the straw that broke the camels back.

Natasha once again reached for the girl, wrapping her in her arms. Seeing Percy so scared and shying away from human touch brought back her time in the Red Room. She knew what it was like to fear those who were supposed to be teachers and mentors, what it was like to fear a part of yourself. And Natasha wanted with all of her being that Percy never have to experience that. A surge of protectiveness rose from a part of her she thought long dead, as Percy started weeping in her arms. She would train this girl so she would be powerful enough to never have to go through heartbreak or pain and until that day came, she would protect her. She would protect her with her life.