AYOOOOOO
Natasha POV
"Here is idea. We hit q-tip until we knock sense back into her."
I throw a glare over at the short blonde standing with Melina who's been working on a cure for Jayce the past 2 days.
We had to flee from where the Red Room came down. Ross thought he got me but I got away just as easily as I gave myself up. Gave Melina, Yelena, Alexei and the widows enough time to get out.
Now we're somewhere off-map in a secret abandoned HYDRA base called "Sickle". Melina found it years ago, it was where she did her own secret experiments. Well after killing the last HYDRA agents there and taking it over as her own, cloaking it so no one would know it was still even standing.
"Why do we even try to wake up web girl? She tried to have me killed."
I roll my eyes and sigh, "No she didn't, you were the reason our chopper crashed. And in all fairness? You deserved it."
He huffs and tries to slick his mess of hair back, glancing at the security camera footage of Jayce in the polycarbonate fish bowl cell.
Once we got her here, Melina untied her and shackled on wrist cuffs filled with some weird magic shit called the Sands of Nisanti. Said it will strip her of her abilities and strength long as they are kept on her wrists.
"Maybe when she wakes up she'll be normal again. When Loki invaded New York and got a hold on Barton, it took one blow for his mind to readjust to normal," I mutter, looking at my girlfriend passed out on the ground of the cell.
Melina shakes her head, "It is not magic that does this, Natasha. Dreykov used chemical subjugation to put Jayce Parker under his control...well I suppose HYDRA control–" "But I saw her true self shining through during that fight!" I sit up but groan in pain, reaching for my stomach wound just as my shoulder starts to sting.
Yelena comes over to me and lifts my shirt to check the wound, "I swear Natasha if you break another set of stitches I will give up. Stitching is tiring and tedious."
She cleans up around the stitches and checks my shoulder while I sigh, shaking my head, "I don't need stitches. I've gotten shot before and I've most certainly been stabbed before."
"And you are lucky it didn't do any nerve damage or organ damage. Your girlfriend in there tried to kill you, you know."
I stare at Yelena and shake my head again, "It wasn't her fault. She had no choice. She was being controlled. Something I am sure you have some knowledge on."
Her eyes fall instantly as the memories resurface of all the red she's managed to stain her ledger with and I regret saying it with such conviction but she smiles smally and helps me sit up.
"Can you tell me why the other cure didn't work? I mean you copied it and sent the widows off to distribute it to other widows around the globe. How come it helps them but not Jayce?"
"Jayce was given a different formula, one that I am close to cracking but you continue to badger and badger. It is like I can get no work done with all of you in here so please leave me to my space in this room."
Alexei eyes Melina with a disgusting smirk, "I like it when you're bossy."
"I know you do," She replies and kisses him, leaving Yelena to nearly drop me as she gags but I slap the back of her head and hiss for her to keep moving so we can get out of the room.
"As if Alexei is going to help anyone focus," My little sister grumbles, making me chuckle but stop instantly as a wave of pain hits me again.
I glance at the door to the room Jayce is locked up in and stop walking.
"It is not a good idea. She isn't even awake yet."
"Just let me see her for a minute. You haven't let me near her since we met up yesterday."
She trains her eyes on me observantly, questioningly, then breathes out, giving in and walking towards the door, allowing me to pull my arm from around her shoulders.
"You have 10 minutes with the q-tip."
"Thank you," I whisper and slowly walk in, limping a bit to avoid putting too much weight on my left side where the stab wound is and close the door behind me.
Jayce's hair splays out around her head just a bit, a sign that her hair is getting much longer than she probably likes.
I grab a chair from against the wall and pull it over to sit in front of the polycarbonate cell.
"I don't know if you can hear me. But I really need you to fight this. We're working for a cure but I saw you breaking through back on that battlefield. You're Jayce Parker, you can get through anything..."
Sucking in a sharp breath, my mind flashes with images of Jayce from that fight. Being sweet one second and stabbing me the next. The things she said.
I have to squeeze my eyes shut to burst the memories to oblivion, but I open my eyes when I hear movement.
Jayce groans as she sits up, holding her head and wincing, "wow. Ouch."
My heart begins to rap against my chest with painful force, beating loudly in my ears as I thrum my fingertips against the undersides of the chair. The air around us is still, a small cool breeze coming through the vent in the ceiling.
Her head turns until she spots me and she sighs, "Well, I take it Yelena knocked me out?"
"You'd be correct," I respond dryly, determined to keep my trained walls up until I know for sure if she's back to herself or posing an act once again.
"You're hurt," She states, staring at me but I don't waiver one bit. I blink and nod, "I'll heal."
"Did I do that?" Her voice is softer now, a tinge of regret climbing up her throat and out between her lips.
It makes my barriers sway a bit but my mind keeps them constructed.
"Which Jayce am I talking to?" Stone. The tone angle I'm going for, she knows more than anyone just how intimidating I can be when I keep my face and voice void of emotion.
She rubs her lips together as she stands up and sighs, "One that should apologize for hurting you the way I did."
Not good enough.
"Like I said, I'll heal."
Jayce nods slowly and looks around, tapping on the clear walls, "Polycarbonate glass, I take it?"
I don't respond. I use the time to watch as her mind tries to figure out some sort of escape route. She's smart. Almost too smart. Melina may have constructed this prison and the cuffs, but Jayce could too. She is also smart enough to figure out how to get out of it.
Well, my Jayce is, this mind scrambled one may not be.
Or could be even worse.
The Jayce I know and love keeps some of her knowledge hidden, knowing the lengths of her brain go way deeper than one may think. She's been a part of HYDRA before, can make anything Tony can create, and can probably create unimaginable weapons and chemicals.
She just locks it down, not wanting to bring it into reality because she and I know damn well that if she does, that means it will be out in the world, which means it can also be copied and used as a dangerous tool against the greater good.
This version of Jayce may have full access to that secret compartment of knowledge, and may want to actually use it.
"It's smart. Compared to plain safety glass, it is known to be 250 times more resistant to impact, making it nearly impenetrable...nearly."
She taps her fingers against it, then chuckles, "You know. Out of context this would be really hot. Sexy ex-assassin girlfriend locks girlfriend up in glass cell? Think that'd make for a good porno."
Well at least this Jayce still has the same humor. I tilt my head with a demeaning smirk, "Considering you've been holed up in here for 2 days in the same suit that has yet to be washed and I can see the grease in your hair from here, I wouldn't go near you with a 10-foot pole right now."
Jayce gapes with faux-hurt and places a hand to her chest, "My my Little Spider do you have some bite to you today."
My body reacts to that nickname without permission, legs crossing over, arms folding, hands hugging my sides gently. She notices and grins, "Hit a nerve, didn't I? I'll tell you what. This suit hasn't been washed in a while. So if you could you know...handle that."
She begins undressing and I roll my eyes once she's left in a sports bra and underwear, but make sure to eye down the bruises coating her, scars from her past.
Her eyes glance at the shackles on her wrists and she hums, "What are these? Melina's doing, I presume?"
"Sands of Nisanti. You're powerless but please, feel free to try."
Jayce just laughs and points a finger at me, "I know why weak Jayce loved you so much. You have such...fire to you. Keeps me on my toes I'm sure. Although, still being Jayce Parker, I can feel all the grief and love that still resides for the fallen Gwen Stacy. Poor thing, she was a beauty. A love that no one can beat, not even you, Little Spider."
I stare daggers at the being who has possessed my girlfriend and nearly scoff when she kicks the black suit over to a little locked window.
"Is that what you're going with? Trying to break me down by saying I won't be better than your dead ex-girlfriend? Try harder. That's not my goal and will never be something I strive for with Jayce. She knows that."
I look at the little remote on the table beside me, along with Jayce's mask and grab the little black device, clicking a button that makes a bar emerge from one of the shackles and magnetize to the other one, making her jolt with surprise.
Her wrists, now locked together, gives me time to grab the suit. Quickly, I open the little window and pull the suit out, clicking the button to close it once more while Jayce watches on in amusement.
"Wow. You really don't trust me, huh?"
"Well considering you stabbed me and called me weak, I'd say no."
The door behind me opens and Yelena steps in with Melina beside her, "10 minutes is up," She says and I frown as I look at Melina who smiles, "I think I have found a cure. Just need to try it out."
She looks behind me at Jayce who waves with a proud smile, still tapping against the glass, "Hello there."
"Where are her clothes?"
"Going to wash them," I state and Yelena snorts, "Sure, that is why her clothes are off."
"Shut up," I spit and watch as Melina approaches the glass, pressing the button to open the door.
Alexei walks into the room as well and stands guard, "I do not like this, Melina."
"Oh hush Alexei. She is harmless with the shackles on."
"She has a point, I can't even feel my Spider tingle," Jayce shrugs and I breathe in dreadfully, praying this works as Melina injects Jayce's neck with the serum.
Jayce groans and falls to one knee, breathing hard and grunting in agony as the red serum literally glows through her veins and skin.
"Jesus, what the hell did you give her?" I snap and drop the suit, running into the cell, dodging Alexei's grabs and collapsing in front of Jayce as my heart runs rampant.
"Hey, are you okay? Jayce?" I cup her cheeks and stare in worry while she hangs her head, shaking it as if she's trying to knock the serum away from her veins.
"Fucking hell this shit burns," She gasps out and catches her breath. I wait for a moment, hoping it works while she comes down and Melina steps back, watching curiously.
"I cannot tell if it worked," Melina frowns and I sigh, "Jayce? How do you feel?"
She picks her head up and glances up at the ceiling, squinting a bit like she's searching her own mind, "Hmm...I feel like that shit burned like a whore in church."
Humor's checked off but that's no real tell.
I need solid proof.
"Besides that."
She clicks her tongue and looks to meet my gaze, a warming smile crossing her expression, eyes soft, "Hey Little Spider."
My heart nearly bursts with joy at the way she says that name. The way I'm so accustomed to but still gives me those damn butterflies.
I mirror her smile but widen my eyes when I feel the bar between her shackles hit the back of my heel as my body lifts up. She flips us and slams me into the ground, making me cry out as my wound opens up with her knee pressing into it, her hands around my thigh with the shackles.
"Natasha!" Yelena shouts as Melina and Alexei grab Jayce who laughs, "Idiots."
I look up and see the clicker to the shackles on Melina's belt look, the same spot I see Jayce's eyes flicker to.
Knowing what she's about to try, I jump up and grab her from them, ignoring the reopened wound on my stomach as I wrap my arms around her neck, gripping her into a chokehold.
She gasps under my grip and my heart aches in my chest once again, feeling a chip coming off my block of hope for her to get better.
"You should know that I know your moves by now. I know how you work, how you operate. Just like you know me, only your belief is that I'm too weak to kick your ass because I love you. But the real Jayce knows I don't shy away from a fight if necessary."
I whisper it into her ear, feeling a rage bubbling up inside of me, the same rage I felt when we first met at the HYDRA base, the want to really hurt her and take her down.
Honestly it feels like I'm in some sort of time warp.
Only that first time she wasn't being mind controlled, she was just damaged and scared and hurt.
Now she's being held hostage by whatever kind of crap that Loralai bitch put in her head.
"That's where you're wrong, Natalia."
My body goes rigid at that name, my training days flashing in my head, the torture, the way I learned to submit just by being called that. It's like I return back to it, just like how Dreykov had the pheromonal lock put in to keep us from hurting him.
Still engraved into my mind, still locked in place.
"If you really aren't scared to hurt me, then why not kill me? Only makes sense."
I swallow thickly, almost appalled by her suggestion but I know she's just trying to get into my head. She's right, I wouldn't kill her.
But hearing her say it, I hate that she knows she's right. At least this version of her.
"Killing you would be mercy," I hiss and throw her into the wall, nodding for everyone to walk out as I rack my brain for more ideas.
"I can try another formula but I was so sure that one would work..." Melina frowns as she taps her chin in deep thought.
That's when I finally realize it.
"There's only one way to fix this."
They all look to me and I bite the inside of my cheek, "What is that way?" Melina quips and I sigh, turning to Yelena.
"I'm going to need your help."
"With what exactly?" She asks as I exit the room, heading upstairs to gather my weapons.
"Natasha, are you going to tell me what this magical fix is or am I supposed to guess?"
I chuckle and shake my head, "It's not a 'what', it's a 'who'. And there's only one person I know who has mastered mind manipulation."
"Great. Where is she?"
I put my batons in the holsters on the back of my suit and finish gearing up before pulling out the phone Jayce made me on the run, "Prison."
My fingers tap against the screen, pulling up coordinates to where I know she is, along with the rest of my imprisoned friends.
Yelena peeks her head over my arm and looks at the screen, "What is 'The Raft'?"
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A/N: Hmmmm I wonder who she may be talking about ;)
What do you think will happen?
What do you want to happen?