Memories Best Forgotten (PG)
Title: Memories Best Forgotten
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1050
Summary: It's the little things that can set a person off. All you can do is watch and wait. ( this prompt at avengerkink; "KGB" on my Natasha-centric table)
They're watching the news when Tony notices that Natasha's being awfully quiet. That's not unusual because the woman chooses her words carefully all the time but considering the subject matter on the television, it's a little suspicious. Or maybe it’s not, because of it. The announcer informs them that secret facilities have been unearthed from beneath the frozen tundra wasteland of Natasha's home country and Tony looks over to see how she's taking the news. Maybe it's not even news to her. (Part of his mind wonders if she has first hand experience with the grainy images of sterile hallways and narrow cots. There are plenty of rumors around S.H.I.E.L.D. that she was trained by the KGB, after all.)
The woman is staring ahead at the bookcase, green eyes blank. Tony nudges Steve with his elbow and the soldier turns to look at their teammate.
“Natasha? Is everything all right?” Her head snaps to the left at Steve's worried tone. In the next blink, she's crouched on the chair cushion, staring at Tony and Steve without any recognition in her gaze. She looks like she's cataloguing them and the room they're in, even though she's been in the living room hundreds of times. Tony watches her gaze flit from Steve's arm around his shoulders to the lamp base on the table between them back to Steve's blue eyes. He thinks she’s seeing them but not seeing them and his mind starts to connect the dots.
“Take it easy,” Tony warns as his lover reaches out to touch Natasha's arm. “You don't know-” He shuts up as the woman moves without a sound, nearly breaking Steve's fingers before they even brush against hers. He jerks them back in time, eyes widening in shock.
“Natasha! What are you doing?” Steve cries out in surprise and Tony levers himself off the couch. If there's going to be a fight, he doesn't want to be in the middle. Who knows what sort of martial arts training the KGB (Tony is definitely running with that idea as fact now, watching this play out.) instilled in Natasha as a girl? Steve ducks the lamp she swings at his head with shocking quickness and Tony is grateful for the serum in the blond's veins.
The woman launches herself off the chair, hands intent on wrapping around Steve's throat. He blocks her attempt and defends himself hastily. She takes a step backward when the soldier stands from the couch and Tony watches her body still. Natasha is moving on automatic, eyes bright and unaware of her surroundings. Steve tackles her to the carpet when she tries to strike again, his hands gripping her wrists, holding them above her head.
“Tony, what's going on?” he asks loudly as Natasha starts to scream at them in her native tongue. The billionaire gives Steve credit for only wincing as her nails dig into the back of his hand.
“JARVIS, translate to English.” Tony snaps out, debating whether he should go put on the Mark IV armor. Would that help here or would it only antagonize Natasha further? “Steve, it's a flashback. I think something on the news, maybe the footage from the catacomb training grounds,” he trails off as JARVIS' soothing tones start to speak over Natasha's chants.
“She is merely repeating an anti-American doctrine and two lines of a pep talk that were told to her, judging by the way her voice reflects someone else's speech patterns. Death to the Americans, the end of capitalism, all hail the Motherland, for the betterment of the Soviet people,” JARVIS’ voice changes fractionally, “you are the best and you do not fail.”
“Thanks, JARVIS.” Tony says absently, sucking in a breath as Natasha tries to maneuver her legs underneath Steve to kick him off. He leans into her body to prevent the action hurriedly. It's unfortunate neither he or Steve speak Russian - the only one who does is Bucky Barnes, the former Winter Soldier and he's somewhere classified for an operation. Tony thinks Clint has probably dealt with Natasha having a flashback before, they've been partners before the Avengers Initiative even formed, but the marksman is also out of reach, working on a joint op with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s wetworks division. Of course it falls to the paragon of American virtue and a former weapons manufacturer and face of capitalism to snap an assassin out of a training flashback stuck in the Cold War.
Tony curses the KGB and their paranoia under his breath as Steve twists his head to look at him. “Think I can slap her out of it? That always worked for Bucky back in the day.” Tony nods firmly. It's really the only way at the moment to stop the woman from harming either of them or herself. Steve switches to holding her wrists together with one hand and slaps Natasha hard with his free hand.
She jerks underneath him, eyes slamming shut and head twisting to the side. Tony goes to the pair, crouching down next to them as Natasha stops struggling.
“Hey, hey, you're safe now.” Tony soothes, motioning for Steve to let go of her. He looks hesitant but follows Tony's directions. “You're in America, the KGB is definitely gone and not in charge any more. Natasha, you with us now?” He waits, holding his breath for his response.
Green eyes open and look at him. “Yes.” She says simply, like she hadn't been trying to kill Captain America only moments before. Tony breathes out as she looks at Steve with a raised eyebrow. “You mind moving, Steve?” The blond rolls off her and to his feet, offering his hand to help her up.
Tony’s only marginally surprised when she takes it. “Thank you,” she says to the both of them quietly. Then she turns on a heel and stalks off to her room. Steve and Tony don’t say anything to her retreating back because it’s clear she wants to forget it happened. Tony is more than willing to do the same; he's relieved in a corner of his mind that when his own flashbacks take over (rare now, years after Afghanistan but not out of the realm of possibility), he doesn't have the training to kill.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1050
Summary: It's the little things that can set a person off. All you can do is watch and wait. ( this prompt at avengerkink; "KGB" on my Natasha-centric table)
They're watching the news when Tony notices that Natasha's being awfully quiet. That's not unusual because the woman chooses her words carefully all the time but considering the subject matter on the television, it's a little suspicious. Or maybe it’s not, because of it. The announcer informs them that secret facilities have been unearthed from beneath the frozen tundra wasteland of Natasha's home country and Tony looks over to see how she's taking the news. Maybe it's not even news to her. (Part of his mind wonders if she has first hand experience with the grainy images of sterile hallways and narrow cots. There are plenty of rumors around S.H.I.E.L.D. that she was trained by the KGB, after all.)
The woman is staring ahead at the bookcase, green eyes blank. Tony nudges Steve with his elbow and the soldier turns to look at their teammate.
“Natasha? Is everything all right?” Her head snaps to the left at Steve's worried tone. In the next blink, she's crouched on the chair cushion, staring at Tony and Steve without any recognition in her gaze. She looks like she's cataloguing them and the room they're in, even though she's been in the living room hundreds of times. Tony watches her gaze flit from Steve's arm around his shoulders to the lamp base on the table between them back to Steve's blue eyes. He thinks she’s seeing them but not seeing them and his mind starts to connect the dots.
“Take it easy,” Tony warns as his lover reaches out to touch Natasha's arm. “You don't know-” He shuts up as the woman moves without a sound, nearly breaking Steve's fingers before they even brush against hers. He jerks them back in time, eyes widening in shock.
“Natasha! What are you doing?” Steve cries out in surprise and Tony levers himself off the couch. If there's going to be a fight, he doesn't want to be in the middle. Who knows what sort of martial arts training the KGB (Tony is definitely running with that idea as fact now, watching this play out.) instilled in Natasha as a girl? Steve ducks the lamp she swings at his head with shocking quickness and Tony is grateful for the serum in the blond's veins.
The woman launches herself off the chair, hands intent on wrapping around Steve's throat. He blocks her attempt and defends himself hastily. She takes a step backward when the soldier stands from the couch and Tony watches her body still. Natasha is moving on automatic, eyes bright and unaware of her surroundings. Steve tackles her to the carpet when she tries to strike again, his hands gripping her wrists, holding them above her head.
“Tony, what's going on?” he asks loudly as Natasha starts to scream at them in her native tongue. The billionaire gives Steve credit for only wincing as her nails dig into the back of his hand.
“JARVIS, translate to English.” Tony snaps out, debating whether he should go put on the Mark IV armor. Would that help here or would it only antagonize Natasha further? “Steve, it's a flashback. I think something on the news, maybe the footage from the catacomb training grounds,” he trails off as JARVIS' soothing tones start to speak over Natasha's chants.
“She is merely repeating an anti-American doctrine and two lines of a pep talk that were told to her, judging by the way her voice reflects someone else's speech patterns. Death to the Americans, the end of capitalism, all hail the Motherland, for the betterment of the Soviet people,” JARVIS’ voice changes fractionally, “you are the best and you do not fail.”
“Thanks, JARVIS.” Tony says absently, sucking in a breath as Natasha tries to maneuver her legs underneath Steve to kick him off. He leans into her body to prevent the action hurriedly. It's unfortunate neither he or Steve speak Russian - the only one who does is Bucky Barnes, the former Winter Soldier and he's somewhere classified for an operation. Tony thinks Clint has probably dealt with Natasha having a flashback before, they've been partners before the Avengers Initiative even formed, but the marksman is also out of reach, working on a joint op with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s wetworks division. Of course it falls to the paragon of American virtue and a former weapons manufacturer and face of capitalism to snap an assassin out of a training flashback stuck in the Cold War.
Tony curses the KGB and their paranoia under his breath as Steve twists his head to look at him. “Think I can slap her out of it? That always worked for Bucky back in the day.” Tony nods firmly. It's really the only way at the moment to stop the woman from harming either of them or herself. Steve switches to holding her wrists together with one hand and slaps Natasha hard with his free hand.
She jerks underneath him, eyes slamming shut and head twisting to the side. Tony goes to the pair, crouching down next to them as Natasha stops struggling.
“Hey, hey, you're safe now.” Tony soothes, motioning for Steve to let go of her. He looks hesitant but follows Tony's directions. “You're in America, the KGB is definitely gone and not in charge any more. Natasha, you with us now?” He waits, holding his breath for his response.
Green eyes open and look at him. “Yes.” She says simply, like she hadn't been trying to kill Captain America only moments before. Tony breathes out as she looks at Steve with a raised eyebrow. “You mind moving, Steve?” The blond rolls off her and to his feet, offering his hand to help her up.
Tony’s only marginally surprised when she takes it. “Thank you,” she says to the both of them quietly. Then she turns on a heel and stalks off to her room. Steve and Tony don’t say anything to her retreating back because it’s clear she wants to forget it happened. Tony is more than willing to do the same; he's relieved in a corner of his mind that when his own flashbacks take over (rare now, years after Afghanistan but not out of the realm of possibility), he doesn't have the training to kill.