One last Time (May 2016)

Tatiana shrugged. “He is well known and important in the circles that he runs in. His death would cause a mess that I’d just assume avoid If I could. There is no life for you Natalya where I am not pulling your strings. I’ve covered for you...again!” She said angrily though Natalya knew that Tatiana answered to people as well. Natalya was going to have to repay Tatiana for this leniency but more likely she needed her back out in the field. The last time she had gone awol they had put her through more ‘reconditioning.’ Just the thought of that made her shudder. Chris would not be harmed, that was main thing. When Natalya came up to Tatiana, Tatiana pulled out her stun gun and zapped her with it. Natalya’s legs suddenly felt like jelly and she fell to the floor. Before she knew what was happening she heard several footsteps than blow upon blow by the small, rubber clubs that the SSB agents carried. “Not in the face,” she heard Tatiana say and the blows continued. After she was drubbed half senseless and bloodied, they dragged her away toward a small boat that was on the shore.

------------------------------

Natalya smelled gun oil and gasoline…

Her head rose where she had fallen asleep on Logan’s hairy chest. She had been dreaming about Chris, the man that had loved her. Logan jerked awake. “What do they want?” He asked. Logan smelled aftershave, sweat and other smells that he assumed belonged to about a dozen men and women that had begun to close in on them. “I suppose it's too much for me to ask you to go hide in the bathroom?” he said darkly as he shifted around then crouched by the bed. He extended his claws out. ‘What do they want, You? Well...they cant have you. You’re mine!” he said fiercely just as a gas grenade broke through the window.

Natalya wondered if Chris was truly alright. She hadn't seen him in 11 years. He never would have known what had happened to her. She promised herself that as soon as she and Logan got back to New York that she would find him and explain everything to him. He deserved at least that from her.

Suddenly, a familiar smell filled her nostrils. She lifted her head from Logan's chest and felt Logan jerk awake. Her adrenaline was already pumping. She knew that the cottage was surrounded. She got off the bed and grabbed her gauntlets and hand guns. It was the SSB. That she knew. They were still hunting her. She and Logan had no time to formulate a plan because a gas grenade was suddenly thrown through the window. She and Logan had no choice but to flee the room. She knew they were running into a trap, but there was little else they could do.

Logan hoped that Natalya would follow him out but at the same time he said, “This way!” He heard her say, “Follow me!” He crashed through the window to a hail of gunfire that streaked across the wall right above where he rolled. He rolled into 2 SSB agents and stuck one with a claw. One each that stabbed into them like a hot knife through butter. He pulled his claws free then pushed them away from him as he dodged more gunfire. He was hit several times, SSB agents were very good, but he didn’t wait around for them to close in on him.

Natalya felt the bite of a bullet as it hit her leg as she jumped out of the window. Glass blew out everywhere and she fell into the SSB agent that had shot toward her. He had hit her completely by accident. Likely the only way someone could hit her when she moved as quick as a viper. She only had a moment to use his body ads a meat shield as several other agents opened fire on them. Her ‘shield’ jerked as he was hit several times and she was able to easily wrench away his sub machine gun and return fire on the agents who attacked her.

Natalya’s leg burned from where she had been hit by a bullet, but she kept moving. Her adrenaline eased the pain, but she knew once it stopped pumping that it would really hurt. That didn’t matter now though. She needed to ensure she and Logan remained alive. One quick glance his way showed her that he was alright.

As she fired on the SSB agents she realized that they would keep hunting her as long as Tatiana was alive. Tatiana was the one who wanted revenge and she needed to end this once and for all. She knew she was there, orchestrating this entire thing. She just needed to find her. Between Logan and herself they were able to handle the SSB agents that were there. Now her focus was finding Tatiana.

“I know you’re here! Show yourself!”

A grenade was thrown toward her and, as her increased perception focused upon it she tilted the barrel of the weapon in her hands. A bullet streaked as she pressed down on the trigger and the grenade exploded before it was close enough to do any damage...to her. Fragments burst into the men and Logan who were underneath it. She could see Logan was down but he still appeared to be moving and more agents were coming. Three sets of black gloves soon resolved into men who began to climb over the terrace railing. Every man that was down held weapons. Sub-machine guns, assault rifles, pistols, knives and grenades. The noise however had woken up just about everyone in the resort. Already lights began switching on in the other villas as wary vacationers peeked out of their windows.

Natalya’s senses were alive now. The dullness of being away from combat too long was quickly washing away. She only had time to flinch back as a tranq dart slammed into the wall near her shoulder. A red dot sight flashed in her vision and she knew then that it was Tatiana who obviously still wanted to take her alive.

Alive they’d take her back. They’d take her back for more ‘reconditioning’. Where all she could do is scream. Silent screams as the horrors she could not unsee fluttered through her mind. Each one worse than the last, without end. The purpose of which was to remove whatever vestiges of humanity she had gained in the time she had been away. Her humanity and her love for Logan as well. When they were done with her she'd likely kill Logan if they told her to. If she could kill him. All of his work, time, patience and love would be washed way as if it had never happened.

As she obtained another weapon, the one she had was out of ammo, she saw Logan stagger to his feet. Even as he did pieces of blood soaked shrapnel clinked onto the wooden desk as they were pushed by his remarkable healing from his body. Even that his gate was not yet steady he lunged at the closest agents but instead he sliced at the wooden supports that held up that side of the decking. Along with himself 6 SSB agents tumbled with him down onto the sand and out of her line of vision. 3 agents and 1 Tatiana who stayed back as the 3 advanced on her.

Natalya's training had kicked in and she was wide awake. Her senses were on full alert. She moved so much faster than any of the other SSB agents that they didn't really stand a chance against her. She missed being shot by a tranq gun and she knew then that Tatiana wanted to take her alive. That meant "reconditioning" and Natalya would rather die than go through that again. She knew that if she was fully reconditioned that she would do anything Tatiana told her to do, including killing Logan or the other Avengers. One of Tony and Isabella's greatest fears was a reconditioned Natalya. Natalya could be terrifying enough as she was now, but having her working for the SSB and Tatiana again would be disastrous.

Natalya's machine gun was out of ammo so she grabbed a gun from a dead SSB agent. She saw Logan and 6 other agents tumble down off the deck and onto the sand below. She didn't have any time to check on him because 3 more agents were advancing towards her. However, just behind them she saw Tatiana. She glared at her and then began to open fire on the 3 agents.

Bullets streamed out of her weapon and streamed toward her as well from theirs. However Natalya fired while she shifted right then left then right again as if she knew where their bullets would be. She took out the front guy in the head then the next agent in the cheek and then the third right between the eyes. Tatiana knew that Natalya was out of ammo and so did Natalya when she aimed at Tatiana and the gun only clicked. Tatiana was there, in front of her, all she needed was one bullet but her weapon was empty. Tatiana’s wasn’t and she brought both hands up and began to fire her pistol at her. Natalya dodged left then right then left again. She continued to press up to her and just before she reached her she felt a painful prick in her thigh.

Both women were face to face with one another and both looked down at Natalya’s left thigh. An orange tranq dart protruded out of her thigh and already Natalya could feel her senses begin to gloss over as Tatiana tossed her pistol aside and drew her second one. Natalya knew she only had seconds of strength left, she had to stop Tatiana. She had to stop her now! Now!

Natalya had Tatiana were she wanted her. They were face to face and she could end this...now! She could end the pain, the torment, the fear. She could end it all with just one more bullet. However, to her horror her gun was empty. Tatiana took aim at her and began to fire. She dodged back and forth and then suddenly felt a painful print in her left thigh. She looked down to see a tranq dart sticking out from her leg. It was orange in color which meant it was a high dose. She knew she only had seconds to end this otherwise it would be all over for her. She had to fight...she had to win.

She saw Tatiana pull out another pistol and she moved. She moved faster than she had before. She grabbed the pistol and with whatever strength she had left she twisted it out of Tatiana's hands. She saw Tatiana's eyes widen in horror when she realized Natalya had the gun. Natalya felt herself already starting to black out as she raised the pistol. She took aim and fired. The bullet hit Tatiana right between the eyes and as Tatiana's dead body dropped to the ground, Natalya lost consciousness and everything went black.

Weak and groggy Natalya’s eyes slowly fluttered open. She knew immediately where she was, the very place that terrified her. SSB agents stood around her as a doctor in a white lab coat hooked her up to an IV of the psychotropic drugs that made the reconditioning helmet work so well. Tatiana smiled as she came in. She had the helmet in her hand. “Remember this Natalya? You should, you’re old friends,” she said evilly and her face was an arrogant sneer. “What level to start ma’am?” The doctor asked. “Turn it up to full. By tomorrow I’m going to have her hunt down and kill the Avengers once and for all,” she said as she handed the infernal helmet to the doctor. Outside two guards began to close the outer doors as her screams of terror rang out down the hall.

“What the hell!” Logan said as he removed her hands from his throat. It was still dark she noticed as her eyes fluttered open but she was very weak. “Fine, if you don’t want water, what can I get you?” Logan asked grumpily. They were in a room but not the same one that they had been in or even the same resort from what she could tell. The predominantly white walls were now more colorful and the bed she was on was completely different. Logan cleared his throat.

“The way you were screaming I thought that someone else was here,” he said. He saw how dry her lips were, whatever that dart was it definitely dehydrated people when it hit them. “Talk to me babe, you’re startin to worry me,” Logan said concernedly as he held an opened bottle of water. Her throat was damp from the spillage as she tried to strangle him. The cuts on his neck from her nails already began to heal as she looked at him.

Natalya's face was white as a sheet and a sheen of sweat covered her body. Her eyes were wide in terror and she was breathing as if she had just run a marathon. She blinked as she realized that her hands had been around Logan's throat. She just stared at him for a moment as she realized that she wasn't in the hands of the SSB again. Logan was alive and she hadn't killed him. She looked around her and saw that they were in a different place. She didn't know where they were or how much time had passed. She pushed away the bottle of water Logan was trying to get her to drink and she looked at him.

"Is she dead?!" she asked him almost frantically.

Logan’s brow furled into a deep frown and he brought his hand up and touched her face. Her cheek was cool and clammy but he knew she couldnt be sick. That was impossible so it had to be an effect of the drugs he decided.

“Just calm down baby, you killed her, we willed everyone of those bastards..then...then I stole a car and drove us here. I...left all of our clothes. I didn’t want to take a chance that there might be more of them,” he said. “I did get all of our financial things though, our IDs some of your makeup and personal items. So...please don't be upset if I forgot something ok?” he said. “You were out for a whole day Natalya,” Logan said. “We’re safe for now but I called Tony on the sat-phone and he’s sending the jet for us. I brought us here until it arrives then we’ll take a cab to the airport,” He said.

Natalya felt...sick. Whatever that tranq dart was filled with was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Her body was trembling, almost uncontrollably and her heart felt like it was racing a mile a minute. However, upon hearing that Tatiana was dead she lost it and she just began to cry from relief. It was over...it was finally over.

When she was calm enough she told Logan about her dream. "I dreamt that I didn't kill her and instead I was captured and taken back to the SSB." She hesitated as new tears came to her eyes. "They were going to recondition me and then make me kill everyone...including you. It all felt so...real."

Logan took her hands into his and squeezed them as she spoke. And then he climbed up on the bed with her and took her into his arms. He kissed her forehead. “Well, you’re all right now. She’s gone and the SSB wont be coming after you again. Not after what we did,” Logan said as he looked at her. He touched her head and now she was burning up. “You’re warm, I wonder if they put some kind of mind altering drug in that mix. That could explain your dream,” he said. “Please, drink some water?” he asked. “And rest Natalya. We have some time,” he said but she didn’t really rest until she was on the jet headed back to New York. Kate and Steve as her co -pilot met them at the airport. Logan made Natalya get checked out by the biobed and it had injected her with supposedly would counter the effects of the drugs in her system. Mostly she had to hydrate though so that her system flushed it all out.

Logan sat beside her on the plane. He was reading a magazine when he looked up and saw her looking at him. His eyebrows drew up and he smirked at her. “What?” He asked.

Kate had given birth about two months ago to a beautiful, healthy girl. They named her Sarah Katherine Rogers after their mothers. The labor and birth had both gone very well and she was already beloved by everyone in the Tower. Kate had left plenty of milk for her to be bottle fed while she and Steve went to pick up Logan and Natalya. Thankfully, the jet was fast and they were going to be back in New York in a couple of hours. She glanced back at Natalya and was glad to see she seemed to be doing well. SHIELD was already in the process of covering up what had happened at the resort.

Natalya was looking at Logan and he finally looked up at her she gave him a little smile. "I just love you is all."

“We’ll go on vacation again, I promise. I think maybe for now though it might be good for us to get back into the thick of it,” Logan said. When they got back to the tower, everyone was excited to see them. Tony had ordered some catered food and they had a little welcome home party for them. Everyone but Thor was there and Logan was surprised at how big WIlliam had gotten while they were away. Kate let Natalya hold Sarah and unlike her last experience it didn’t suck. Sarah yawned and looked at Natalya but didn’t fuss or cry. She seemed curious about her though.

As Logan played Cards with the others Natalya sat out. While they played she looked up Christopher Hanson on her laptop and though it took some searching she found that he still held a residence in New York. A house and she committed the address to memory.

Serena and Peter were thrilled to see Natalya and Logan again and when Natalya asked how the official press conference had gone for Peter coming out as Spider-Man, Serena told them that they had recorded it and would show it to them later. The media sensation was only just now dying down...and that was because Kate had given birth. Handling all of this media was rather stressful, but Isabella and Tony wanted to be the only ones to handle it because this was their team and their image.

The following morning was Saturday and Natalya and Logan rose early as usual and got in a workout before having breakfast. After showering, Natalya told Logan she was going out for a while. Logan was going to be spending some time with Tony, Steve, and Peter. Instead of having Happy take her, she took a cab because she didn't want to raise any suspicion. She didn't know if Chris had gotten married or had any children, but she wanted to be sure he was alright and to tell him the truth. When she got to the house she paid the cab driver and stood outside the door for a moment before finally walking up and ringing the bell. She then stood and held her breath as she waited for him to answer.