Natasha Romanoff

“ –– are you okay?” Peter asked the person next to him. The streets happened to be filled with people who had either been effected; or seen someone effected by all the fears. And he himself had been safe from it, luckily –– but he would always like to help if he could. Anyone, and everyone. Just how Peter happened to be. 

“I swear, no matter where I go I’m either being threatened or some freaked out person is trying to kill me,” she huffed, folding her arms. “How is this mist not affecting some people? Are you infected or do you just want someones ass to kick? Because I can clearly direct you to the person who definitely deserves it”

“I do, Nat,” Steve said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “I trust you with my life, you know that.” It hadn’t always been easy, for the two of them to trust each other. But she had helped him expose HYDRA within SHIELD, she had let him go in Germany – as much as she could be, she had been honest with him. 

“But I don’t run from my friends,” he finished, squeezing her shoulder tightly. “Or from a fight. You know that, too.”

She did know that, even if the concept of having someone other than Clint trust her that much was still so strange to her. “Then trust me when I say that the best thing for you to do now is keep away from me.” As much as it pained her, she knew that she needed to be careful in case anyone was watching, and so she took a step back, shrugging his hand from her shoulder.

“Eh yea whatever you think? I ain’t going potty”

Okay, that was a good start. But something still didn’t feel right, and this toxin had spread far and wide throughout the city, affecting some people and not others. It was impossible to say why, at least for him. Steve didn’t need to know the why just yet. Right now, he just needed to stem the bleeding. 

“Okay, okay,” he said, holding up his hands, mimicking her soft whisper. “But tell me why, Nat. Why do I have to get away from here? From you? We’re teammates still, right?” he asked, staring straight at her. “So tell me why. Tell me what’s going on, and maybe I can help you.” 

It was a relief that he was listening, but she should have known he would have questions. She wanted to answer them, but how could she without putting him in more danger? Something told her that if he knew the truth, he’d give some speech about facing it together and how they were stronger as a team. Being a team wasn’t going to help anything now, though.

She spoke in hushed tones, as if they were on a mission, deep behind enemy lines. As if she were – well, Steve had never used the word scared in regards to Natasha before. But it seemed the only one fitting now, and that, that terrified him more than anything he’d seen tonight.

He listened to her with his brow furrowed, a deep frown set on his face. “Nat,” he whispered slowly. “Where do you think we are right now? What do you think’s happening?” He’d figured out that this was a hallucinogen, this gas was making people see things. And the things Nat had seen… well, it was no wonder she was so unlike herself. 

“We’re in New York,” she answered, brow creasing into a frown. Why was he asking her that? Did he not know where they were? Did he think she didn’t know? She pushed those questions aside, focusing herself on the matter at hand; keeping Steve and the other people that she cared for safe.

Steve was trying. He was really trying. But he didn’t know what else he could do besides offer comfort here and there, try to get people to stay indoors, blocking up the windows, stuffing shirts into the gap beneath the doors. And the people on the street – some of them he had to neutralize, knocking them out and dropping them at hospitals before they hurt themselves or anyone else. 

When he saw Nat down the street, he breathed a sigh of relief. “Nat!” he called. “Boy, am I glad…” he trailed off as he approached her, brows furrowing. Her eyes didn’t seem to be focused on him, or on anything for that matter. Nothing real anyway. “Nat?” he said quietly. “Nat, it’s me. It’s Steve. Are you okay?”

It was a relief to see Steve, because at least it meant they hadn’t got to him yet. Yet being the key word, for the danger was far from over. As much as she wanted to believe that they would be no match for Steve, she knew better than most that these people couldn’t be underestimated. They were trained to levels most people could only imagine, their skills second to none, and it had been years since Natasha had seen them last; who knew what new tricks they could have picked up in that time?

“La la ain’t listening, everyone already telling me that”

Natasha’s breath was short and shallow as she walked down the street, her pace fast yet somehow controlled enough to not be running. There was a wild look in her eyes, somewhere between fear and anger, emotions she so often kept hidden. But how could she hide that look when the few people she cared about could be in danger?

They were here. They had come for her, just as she’d always known they would. She had been a fool to believe they’d forgotten her after the first few years had passed. How could she defect and not expect their retaliation?

Yet it wasn’t her they were going for, not directly. They weren’t stupid enough to think they could take her on in that way. No, they were going for the people she had dared to allow herself to get close to. Emotions were a weakness, they had taught her that, and now they were going to prove to her exactly why.

@agent-natasha-romanoff​

There was a lot he should be doing. New York was a city full of loose ends, there were a million things he had to try and explain somehow. Without apologizing, because he stood by his actions. His convictions. He understood the ‘other side,’ of things… He just wished there had never been the ‘other side.’ 

He should’ve been searching out all the people he had to find. But as he sat here, sketching in Central Park to try and calm his nerves, he realized that at least one of those people… had found him instead. He kept drawing, even when the figure stood in front of him, casting a familiar shadow over his sketchpad. “You’re blocking my light, Nat,” he said, the nickname coming out so easily. He glanced up at her, smiling gently. “Should’ve known you’d find me.” 

It was good to hear that Steve was back, more than good if Natasha was being honest. Next to Clint, he was probably the person that meant the most to her. The brother that she’d never had, although she’d never admitted that out loud. She waited at first to see if he would make contact, wanting to give him the chance first, but when he remained radio silent she took matters into her own hands.