BODY ARMOR [Currently Editing]

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 9 [ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇᴅ]

Time mocks me with fair promises;
A blooming future grows a barren past,
Like rain my fair full-blossomed trees
Unburden in the blast.
The harvest fails on grain and tree,
Nor comes to me, nor comes to me.

- Laurence Dunbar

One Life

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Chaper Nine

Scene One

[The Avengers base 10:57am]

"Take this," Natasha says, motioning a cold canned beverage toward Sage in an attempt to soothe her nerves. "No, thank you." She waves it aside, not in the mood for anything right now. "Jeez, that's one way to tell when you're really upset," Natasha sighs, dropping the can on the table where they're sitting. Huffing, she looks at the woman, taking in her distraught expression for a short instant. "Are you just going to stare? Or do you have something to say?" Sage speaks up, irked by her perpetual stare. "You do realize Tony didn't really mean what he said, right? He was just mad... You know how he gets," She attempts to console her in some way. "That's no justification for what he said," she insists unequivocally. "Being upset is one thing; yelling at me for making poor choices is quite another... But insinuating that he regrets having taken me in and raising me after all these years..." Her voice trailed off, her pain palpable. " That's not what you insinuate."

"You're right, it's messed up," Natasha openly realizes, displeased by Tony's actions herself. "But do you know what else is messed up?" She asks, reclining in her chair and turning her head to look at the woman. "What?" Sage practically scoffs through gritted teeth, already preempting the outcome. "You, running away like that," Natasha eventually says, eliciting a deep sigh from the woman. "He was really worried about you Sage, and so was I," Natasha confesses. "Well, I'm sorry for my ignominious exit, but I didn't really have much of a choice," Sage defends. "Yeah, you said that," Natasha points out... "Did I lie?" Sage retorts sarcastically. "I suppose not, life was a little suffocating for you wasn't it?" She eventually agrees. "You could have talked to me... Told me about your feelings and thoughts. I might have been able to help you," Natasha implies. "I doubt it," Sage denies. "What could the black widow have done for me in that situation without jeopardizing herself?"

"Perhaps the widow couldn't have helped, but Natasha could have, you never know kid," The woman sighs. "I didn't need motivation, Natasha; I needed intervention." Sage contends, "I needed to get away." "And you chose Steve to carry out your plan?" With her brows raised, the redhead inquires. "Not that it was incredibly dumb, but he was a good opportunity to carry out your plans," she admits forthrightly.

"I don't know Natasha!" Sage groans in frustration. "It wasn't planned, I didn't meditate on it; it just happened!"

"I had no intention of fleeing, especially in the middle of the goddamn night! But it appeared to be the only option I had for myself. With the way things are going with Tony, I'm on my way to becoming a government attack dog. I'm already struggling to live a normal life under everyone's scrutiny; I'm sure the government would love to have me at their disposal. I'd be surprised if they didn't take me into their labs and turn me into a test subject for whatever experiments they require."

"So, Steve and his cause were your best bet for carrying out your plans?" Natasha tries to speak up but is cut off. "I don't care about Steve or his plans!" In frustration, the girl shouts and slams her fists against the table. "I'm not interested in Tony's side, or Steve's side! I'm only concerned with myself! For God's sake. My sanity and security!" She protests.
"I didn't leave with Steve because I wanted to accompany him on his moral mission to save humanity or whatever the hell he's up to!" "I left for myself," she emphasizes. "If Tony got one thing right, it's that I'm selfish! As bad as it may sound, my decision was based solely on what was best for me, not Steve or Tony. What's best for Sage, because she hasn't felt very secure in her life with the people in charge!"