CHAPTER NINE:
A DANGEROUS PLACE

WHEN NATASHA HAD BROUGHT HER to a small restaurant that was in downtown New York, she wasn't at all expecting it to be five star. But when she ate the food, it felt like heaven in her mouth and she almost moaned in delight at the new found food that she had never ate before. She grabbed a napkin, wiping the food off of her face. She was a messy eater when it came to food that she found out of this world.

     She swallowed, grabbing her drink and taking a few sips from it before sitting it down on the table once more. She leaned back in the chair, a huff falling from her lips. She felt like she had eaten too much, but she couldn't help it. She licked her lips, leaning back in her chair for a few more moments before she finally turned her eyes to look at Natasha who had been watching her with amusement. "When we walked in here, I thought you were just being funny. I wasn't expecting the food to be that good. How did you discover this place?"

       "Funny enough, Tony was the one that mentioned it in the battle of New York. You know, when we were fighting Loki and his alien army." Natasha took another sip of her drink, watching as Willow nodded her head in remembrance. She stayed hidden since she could remember, but even so she would always find herself keeping up with the news. She remembered the video footage of the Avengers first assembling together and making themselves known to the world, it's something she had watched over and over because it filled her with this sense of hope―︎a mistake on her part.

     "Yes, I remember." Willow hummed. "I remember a lot about you and your circus clowns." Willow stood up, grabbing the check and quickly paying for their food―︎despite Natasha's protests of claiming she could pay for it. The duo made their way out of the building, Willow stuffing her hands in her coat pockets. "I watched the mighty Avengers. Hiding in my corner, staying secluded. I may have kept myself hidden, away from the world in hopes of causing no one else any harm, but I always watched the news. In fact, it was the first thing I did when I woke up, and that's how I discovered the heroes of the world."

Natasha looked at the woman for a few moments, pursing her lips as curiosity seemed to take over. "If you knew that we were here, then why didn't you ever come to us. We could've helped you sooner, you know." She waited for her response, watching as Willow's eyebrows seemed to furrow at the question, before she straightened her features, her lips being pressed into a thin line. She didn't answer for the longest time, and for a moment Natasha didn't think she would answer, and then she did.

"Like I told you before, Ms. Romanoff, the world has always been a dangerous place for me. For someone like me. It was dangerous for me to be around anyone because I knew what I could do―︎ even if I didn't know what I did until I managed to catch a news article on five fresh murders that had taken place the night prior." Willow tucked her hair behind her ear, stopping and turning her head to look at Natasha. "I didn't want to come to you guys. Fury just happened to find me and made me come."

"So why haven't you left yet?" Natasha shot back, cocking her head slightly as her green eyes met Willow's. She wondered why Willow hadn't left, even though it was clear that the woman didn't like the facility. Hell, Natasha didn't think she even liked them. But there was something there that was keeping Willow from running away, and the red haired woman wanted to know what that thing was. Maybe it was to early of her to ask so many questions, but Willow had the right to not answer. She also didn't have anyone to talk to, and Natasha wanted her to know that she wouldn't mind making acquaintances with her.

They made it to the car and Willow opened the passengers side, watching as Natasha walked over to the drivers side. But she didn't enter the vehicle quite yet. She laid her arm over the top of the car door, her hand being placed onto the roof of the car. Natasha noticed her hesitation and stopped herself from entering the car as well. She looked at Willow, noticing that the woman seemed to be fighting back tears as she looked away from Natasha and clenched her jaw before looking towards her once more.

Willow looked at the Avenger, and she wondered if she knew. If she knew how dangerous she truly was. How inhuman she was. She felt like Natasha wouldn't have agreed to let her leave the building if she did know just how dangerous she was. But she didn't say anything. Instead, she just shook her head before offering her a tight smile. "Because, I have no where else to go." And then she was getting in the car, and shutting the door, ending the conversation even though Natasha didn't want it to end.

A sigh fell from the agents lips before she got into the car as well, closing the door and pulling the car out of the parking lot and heading back to the Avengers facility. And the entire time that Natasha was driving, she couldn't help but spare glances at Willow, and each time she wasn't surprised to find that Willow hadn't once tore her eyes away from the window―︎almost as if she was watching the outside like it would be the last time she would have the chance to see it. Almost as if she knew there was something that was coming, something that none of the Avengers would be prepared for.