天才斯塔克的第16次失败（下）Chapter17【纯英】（一周五更）

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CHAPTER 17: NATASHA 

Part 3

S.H.I.E.L.D. TRISKELEON BASE 

THE GREAT CITY OF NEW YORK— 

EAST RIVER 

Natasha took a breath and turned to face Ava. “Was it the radiator or the headboard?” 

You know what I’m talking about. 

Ava stared. 

Natasha leaned in. “Where did the handcuffs go?” 

When he beat you. 

When he kept you captive, like an animal. 

Ava’s eyes were shining. 

Natasha shrugged. “When you cried or said you were hungry or asked to go to the bathroom. Or if you didn’t thank him enough for choosing you to be one of his girls.” 

Or all of the above, Natasha thought. Like he did for me. 

Nobody said a word. 

Natasha turned to Tony. “I was wrong to come here. Let’s drop Alex off at home and send Ava back to protective custody.” 

Your decision, ptenets. 

Natasha wanted to say the words out loud to Ava, but she couldn’t. She’d said too much already. 

I can’t help you. Not like this. 

Whatever happens, Ava, you’ll have to live with it now. 

Just like I do. 

Natasha wondered if Ava could hear what she was thinking. She suspected not, at least not yet. And anyways, you didn’t need a mind reader to know how Ivan Somodorov ran his Red Room. 

“Fine,” Tony said. “I’ll have a car sent over.” He put down his screwdriver with a shrug. “Done.” 

“The sink,” Ava said suddenly. “It was a pipe beneath the sink.” 

Of course it was, Natasha thought, closing her eyes. 

Better acoustics. 

He wanted the others to hear you scream. 

The room was silent. 

“I can’t remember very much, but I remember that. I think I got used to what he did. We all did. What he said—I never got used to that.” Ava’s voice was quiet, but not weak. If anything, talking about it only seemed to make her stronger. 

And angrier. 

Natasha could see it in her face. 

Good. 

You should be. 

It will make you stronger. 

All eyes were on Ava now, but she just shrugged. If she had something more to say, she wasn’t saying it. Not here. 

“Let’s go,” Natasha said. She was resolute, even more so than before. Because Natasha now understood the truth; Ava was as vulnerable and broken as Natasha herself was. It was up to Natasha to keep her safe, to keep them all safe. Ava was a vulnerability, and Natasha had to make sure she wasn’t exploited. 

By Ivan, or by anyone. 

“You’ve got to take cover,” Natasha said, finally. 

“What?” Ava looked as hurt as if she’d struck her. 

“S.H.I.E.L.D. is the safest place for you. You’ll be off the grid in an hour. Nobody will be able to get to you. That’s why they call it a safe house.” Natasha shrugged. Not safe. Just as safe as I can keep you. At least until Tony can figure out how to sever the link. “So your secrets will be safe? Isn’t that all you care about? 

Because if they can get to me, they can get to you? Because I know which drawer is your underwear drawer and which closets have all the skeletons?” Ava was bitter. 

“Ava. Don’t,” Natasha said. 

“Or do,” Tony said. He was riveted. “About the drawers.” 

Ava went on. “Because I know about how broken your heart is? About how afraid you are—not of dying, but of living?” 

“Stop it,” Natasha said, her voice rising. 

“Why? Because I know more about you than you do? I hate to break it to you, Agent Romanov, but that’s not saying much.” 

“This is over.” Natasha was seething. “You. Me. All of it.” 

Ava laughed. “This? This never started. Your whole life never started, because you don’t have one. No real friends, no real family. Is that your big secret? That those aren’t memories in your head—that’s a case file? That your problem isn’t being a superhero, it’s being a human?” 

“Yes,” Natasha said, suddenly, startling Ava. 

Ava took a step back. “What?” 

Tony’s eyes flickered from Ava to Natasha. 

Even Alex was staring now. 

“Nailed it. You got me. Happy? Great. Now get your bags. We’re leaving.” 

Ava’s eyes were still blazing. She shook her head. “I can’t go back there. Not to 7B.” 

“Ivan Somodorov is coming for you and me both, Ava. I can’t do anything about that. Not as long as he’s out there,” Natasha said. “But if you really can read my mind, then you already know that. So if your little monologue is over, let’s go.” 

“Let him come. I’m not being locked up again.” 

Ava looked at Tony. He shrugged. “Sorry, kid.” 

Ava looked at Alex desperately. 

He reached out his hand, looking at the others. 

“Just give Ava tonight, okay? Just give her until tomorrow— enough time to get her head around it. “ 

“Excuse me?” Ava gave Alex a scathing look. 

He didn’t let that stop him. 

“After that, she’ll do whatever she has to do to stay safe. I’ll go with her to the safe house myself. We all want the same thing. Right, Ava?” Alex nodded at her encouragingly. 

She looked at him like he was crazy. “We do?” 

He squeezed her hand tight. 

She shook her head, giving him a strange look. Then she turned back to Natasha. “Fine,” Ava said. “Tomorrow. Then I’ll go back to 7B.” 

Natasha nodded at the MP, and he tapped the keypad, allowing the doors to slide open. “Tomorrow.” 

But you’re still going, ptenets. 

One way or another. 

“All I ask is one thing.” Ava took a last hard look at Natasha. “After tomorrow, you leave me alone. I’ll never see your face again. Promise me.” 

Natasha’s expression was even harder. “Believe me, sestra, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”