Chapter Text
Precision. Stoicism. Perfection. Fear. These words had been a constant in your life since you had been taken. Your childhood in the Carpathian mountains seemed like a distant dream. Every part of your past seemed so full, so real. You missed the green of the trees, the endless blue of the sky, the sharp fresh air, the harsh snow. Your life now was grey. Grey with splashes of crimson.
Rumours had spread of a girl being able to perform magic, and had reached the Red Room. Acting quick, they had extracted you from your family, killing them in front of you so that you would not think of escaping. You had been twelve. Removed from your technicolour life, the time of grey had begun. They trained you hard, broke you down completely to reattach you and do it again the next day.
You had been fourteen when you found your comfort, Natasha was been much older and the one who immediately stepped up for you. As harsh as your environment was, having Natasha around had made it easier, she would be there to fix your form, teach you a better move, hold you when you cried missing your home. Then she had left. The instructor had decided you would become her new Natasha, so they trained you even harder. You were their perfect deadly machine, and they thought they had you completely brainwashed. It would have been true, but every night you dreamt of your mountains and the chance to run free, feel the grass underneath your feet and it kept you anchored.
A part of you enjoyed your training, the order, your flawless movements, the graceful poise as you danced. You knew you would soon go through your graduation, your instructor did not fail bringing it up with sick enthusiasm, her new favourite prodigy finally coming into her own.
You would stare at your ceiling, the mountains seemed to fade away more every night, and you felt hollow. It had been nine years since you were taken, the world had gone to hell and back and you would have to accept that this would be your fate. Until she came back, your red haired guardian angel. It had been a reckoning. Bullets everywhere as bodies dropped to the ground, and you remembered smiling as your instructor fell, a bullet between her eyes. Natasha had extended her hand and you took it without question.
You now sat in some safe house or the other, across the table from Natasha as she spoke about what you had missed. She had saved millions with this group of heroes called the Avengers. It seemed a bit surreal, but you were proud of her for emerging as a better person. You leaned back in your seat, sipping the coffee in front of you as Natasha continued to speak.
"Now that you are out, you have a choice (Y/n). I'll give you enough money to survive the month and drop you in whatever country you want with a new identity. Or, you could come back with me and join my team." Her eyes were imploring as she finished speaking, it was clear she wanted you to choose the latter.
Her words left you surprised as you sat up straight, taking in her unflinching expression. She was being serious. You debated the consequences. As tempting as the former seemed, a big part of you wanted to be with Natasha. She was the only family you had. Still, joining the Avengers seemed a little too heroic for your taste, it seemed unlikely you would mesh well with this group. Seeing your furrowed brows, Natasha leaned forward, covering your hand with hers. "Please. We need you."
That was enough. You met her gaze and nodded. It was decided, you would go with Natasha.
~
The flight had been uneventful, you had travelled in a private plane owned by Tony Stark, who was also Iron Man. Natasha had briefed you in about the members of your to be team, and you had made sure to memorise as much as possible. The shocker was when Natasha had informed you that the Red Room had put you on suppressants. Apparently your magic made you too powerful, and so they had mixed in strong sedating formulas into every meal of yours to keep it under control. Keep you under control. Since you were now off them, your magic would surge. As jarring as it all seemed, you slept like the dead on that flight, finally at ease after years of facing a storm.