Wolf Writer

I suppose it wasn't of that much value. Else they surely would’ve noticed by now, right? 

So it is deemed ‘The mysterious closet case’ for the time being.

Well, you got hit on the head pretty hard, so that’s probably the reason for that name...

Anyways, there’s also still the case of the mysterious mission. It's strange. But it's SHIELD, so what's new? Although, you can't seem to let it go.

Lucky for you, you’ve had more than enough time to think, contemplate, reflect, conspire, and whatnot about it. Because you needed to take it easy. Rest up. Recover and gain strength again. It was quite the blow you received to the head, no surprise it turned out to be a mild concussion, so the doctor said.

Or in other words, you’re not cleared for field work yet. 

But the advice to clear your mind hasn’t really worked out all the same. Why can’t you just let it go? It isn’t even your problem to begin with, so why does it bother you so much?

Surrounded by traffic-packed streets, sidewalks crowded with people and massive concrete buildings, you’re casually strolling on the pavement in the middle of the city to get some ‘fresh’ air into your lungs. Going for a nice cup of steaming hot coffee? Why not, you’ve got the time now. The bruises your body is covered with are nicely beginning to heal and you’re almost back to your normal walking pattern.

Stopping in your tracks as a little kid crosses the path right in front of you out of nowhere. You follow the kid with your eyes while resuming the course somewhat disturbed. That caught you off guard for a second. You shouldn’t be so jumpy all the time. Relax, there’s nothing to worry about.  

Suddenly you reach for your neck with your right hand as a reflex. Ouch, you felt a sharp sting. Guess some muscles are still sore. The older you get, the longer it takes to heal.

Damn, does that make you feel old. 

You watch the street and continue walking. That red BMW parked across the road slowly becomes blurry. Why can’t your eyes focus on that? Your body starts to feel weak. Legs begin to shake and eventually become unstable. You find a lamppost nearby and lean against it for support.

Inhale,

exhale,

and repeat

What.. is happening.. to me..?

You were desperately fighting against it, but simply cannot anymore. The cold metal of the lamppost disappears from touch as it slips away and all strength leaves your body.

You collapse.

Expecting to hit the not-so-comfortable concrete, yet you fall into the arms of a person instead. Thank god, I already have enough bruises. You’re gently being moved to the side of the pavement. Then dragged towards a dark coloured vehicle parked against the curb. That’s all you can make out in your current state anyway. Vaguely hearing the person say something in a friendly tone, probably to calm down the worried bystanders that have neatly gathered around you in a semicircle.

Wait… Hold on. Is this person helping you?

The car’s rear door closes with a dull bang. Helplessly lying on the back seat, you sense the vehicle moving. And there’s absolutely nothing you can do to stop it. A black hood is pulled over your head, but it has already become dark before your eyes.

It’s still dark as you’ve regained consciousness a couple of minutes ago. It wasn’t a sore neck. Not so old after all eh, you think satisfied. But that thought quickly fades. Perhaps you would’ve rather wanted an aching muscle.  

The alternative, you were injected with a drug and taken… somewhere, wherever that might be. The musty hood prevents your sight and obstructs your normal breathing, mostly because the hood smells so bad. Like something died in there. Better not think too long about it… 

Not having the slightest clue how long you’ve been out and why your wrists are rigidly tied behind your back in a way that describes the intentions of your capturer clearly. That said, who has captured you? 

At that exact thought you hear a pair of footsteps approaching. A slow, relaxed pace, and you immediately sit more upright, squaring your shoulders. 

A cocky voice speaks.

“So nice of you to join us after all”. As a reaction to the person who just spoke, you let out a scoff. “Should have guessed it was you”.

The stuffy bag is pulled off and the sudden exposure to light makes you shut your eyes promptly. But not before you could make out the silhouette of the woman who gave you your vision back. Not that it matters, because you recognized her voice earlier.

“You can’t do this”, you strongly urge, only a tad angry and annoyed. “Let me go! Now”. With raised eyebrows you look at the SHIELD agent who has her arms crossed and is staring at you with a deadly smirk.

“Come on, is this really necessary?”, you question after receiving nothing back.

Natasha grins, “Ask him”, and nudges with her head to your left.

Footsteps of heavy boots echo off the dirty walls and a tall man with an eyepatch comes into view.

“Agent Romanoff was so kind to tell me what you know”, he says with a low-pitched voice. “You need to understand, that worries me”.

He’s standing directly underneath one of two small industrial light beams, casting a scary shadowy glare over him. With no windows here these are the only sources illuminating this grim, bricked up place. You might as well be underground.

No telling if it’s day or night

No cell reception

No one able to hear you scream for help when you're being ‘questioned’…

A shiver runs down your spine, and not because of the cold temperature. Okay, guess the confrontation in the closet wasn't such a good idea. Not that you already assumed that, considering the way you were brought here and the obvious fact that you’re currently constrained. 

“You might be wondering why we took these, some say... extreme measures to bring you here”. The Director is slowly walking back and forth in front of you. Despite his half-question, you decide to remain silent. Yes, probably the best.

He abruptly stops and a cold expression appears on his features. More cold than it was before. “You have something that belongs to me”, he accuses, his face awkwardly close, sensing his warm breath on your skin. But you don't move a muscle. You have to make it clear who has the upper hand here.  

“Do I?”, you answer ignorantly, “and does it belong to you?”.

He grins. But not out of amusement. He moves back again, thankfully, and reveals, “I don’t like traitors inside my agency”, his piercing gaze still fixed on you, “and I've had my eye on you for quite some time now”.

“Which one?”, you joke. Seeing Romanoff in your peripheral vision facepalm and shake her head. What an idiot, she thinks. 

You scrape your throat.

Not making it better for yourself here, (Y/N)

A heavy sigh, followed by a disappointing pinch with his thumb and index finger on the bridge of his nose. Fury has his eyes(?) closed for a couple of seconds and resumes. “Where was I? Right, the missing item. I don't like it when my agents are keeping things from me. So you see, it’s a damn serious matter, no time for jokes”. 

You carefully nod in agreement.  

“Tell me, Agent (Y/L/N), where are the contents of the black case you took from the compound?”, Fury asks with a demanding threat in his features.

“In the black case I delivered at the briefing 5 days ago. Ask Agent Romanoff, she was there”.

Leaning against a rusted metal table with her arms crossed, out of pure enjoyment you assume, Natasha comments, “How convenient that nobody opened the case during the debrief, wasn't it?”

“Don't play me for a fool”, Fury states. “You damn well know it didn't contain cans of beans when you retrieved it”. 

“Oh”, you respond surprised, “cans of beans you say huh. What kind of beans? I don't really like those brown ones you know”.

“I've had enough of this”, Romanoff huffs and takes a more active pose.

This agent is starting to drive me crazy

She rushes towards the SHIELD operative who seems to be having fun.

Well, not anymore.

Going through a wide variety of options to make the talkative agent a little more cooperative, she dashes towards (Y/L/N). Only requirement is that the ‘level 5′ stays conscious. But pain? A fierce strike on the bridge of the nose it is. She loads up, brings her left hand to her chin and balls it into an iron fist. That will teach a lesson for sure.

Bracing yourself for the impact of a fist, kick or whatever hurts most, but nothing seems to forcefully collide with your body. Fury’s arm is stretched out, separating you and the redhead, while he shakes his head. Not eager to find out how that would’ve ended otherwise, you swallow the big lump in your throat and listen to the Director again.

“It has come to my attention that there are several agents within SHIELD who have gone rogue”.

With a questionable look you ask, “And you think I'm one of them?”. 

Fury immediately starts to laugh. A bit too loud in your opinion.

“You?”, he says between breaths.

“...Yes”.

“I said no time for jokes”, Fury repeats again.

“Yeah, you made it clear now. You can stop laughing”. He is not listening, your words unable to reach the man with eye-patch, and a laugh you never ever expected to hear in person. You slowly begin to feel humiliated.

Like, I'd make a pretty decent ‘bad guy', wouldn't I?

No?

You sigh. Yeah, he's probably right...

“Okay. I did switch the contents of the case”, you admit. Not entertained anymore as Fury’s serious expression resurfaces. You continue, “But only because I wanted to know what’s going on”.

“Those rogue agents, we suspect they are building something. That’s what’s going on”, Fury states. “They are building a weapon. A weapon that will do more harm than good”.

A weapon? What? How? Why? What for? For who? Before you can ask all the questions that are stacking up in your mind caused by this newly received information, the Director has one for you first. 

A question you really brought upon yourself.

“Romanoff told me you wanted in”. He looks at Natasha and then at you. “Well, here's your chance. Can you handle th-”  

“Just… short pause”, you request only a tiny bit awkward, “Can someone perhaps untie me first?”. Fury visibly freezes for a second, because, well, you did interrupt the man. But then he curtly nods to Romanoff. Without hesitation she steps to the back of the chair, pulls her knife - awfully close to your face - and cuts the constraints in one, smooth movement. Romanoff’s features appear neutral, yet you don’t want to find out what else she can do with that razor sharp tool. 

Or... do you?

“Thanks”. You follow Romanoff who’s calmly walking back again and rub your wrists, being free at last. “Look, I think you got the wrong person here-”

“That's what I tried telling him too”, Romanoff adds briskly.

You let out a bitter laugh and bite your lip to refrain from making a comment. The Director ignores her remark and studies you with a squinted eye. “Maybe. But you figured this all out, didn't you?”.

You think hard about this as you avert your gaze from Fury. This is what you wanted, right? Faithfully working your way up, putting in all your devotion, loyalty, effort and time. Hoping to be noticed some day, to get an opportunity to show what you’re worth.

That ‘some’ day seems to be today... 

But wait. This particular opportunity. You weren't exactly hoping for something like...

this.

The stakes are sky-high. There’s absolutely no room for error. And working in secret to investigate rogue agents of SHIELD. The agency you are loyal to. Sounds truly great, doesn’t it. 

Are you up for this? The secrecy? The pressure? … the team-up?  You are just a level 5. Something Agent Romanoff has been very clear on. Perhaps you're not suited to handle this. Not the best choice. Why the hell did you have to be so curious and too stubborn to involve yourself in this!? 

Sometimes it’s best to set clear boundaries. To know what you’re capable of and what not. To just back off and let someone else handl-

“Besides, you already know too much”, Fury casually reminds, which snaps you right out of the decision-making-process. “If you say no, I'll have to think about…”, he adds an unnecessary long pause and clicks his tongue, “other actions to take”.

“Hmm, sounds comforting”, you reply as you've turned your head back again to face the Director of SHIELD to deliver your final answer, whether he or Agent Romanoff like it or not. Yet, you lock eyes with Romanoff instead. There's a clear annoyance visible in her green ones, probably because of you. But also,

something else.

Well, this will be fun...

“So”, Fury firmly states,

“Are you in?”

Next part

Legs, muscles you didn’t realize you had, and your head- pretty sure you have a mild concussion caused by being too close to an exploding building. 

Yeah, not your wisest moment. 

Your entire body aches, but you have no choice. Keep going, because you just have to. A death stare in your eyes while you make your way through the crowded hallway at SHIELD HQ.

Oh man,

you’re so late

There was no denying you needed to clean up first. Soaked to the bone by the rain and uniform covered in dirt, blood, and dust from the explosion. Currently only battered and bruised, lucky you got out alive, and damn lucky for wearing a bulletproof vest once again.

But were you also lucky that Romanoff was there with you? You haven’t figured that one out yet. What you have learned by now though, is that Agent Romanoff takes account of everything.

Of course.

With some special trick up her sleeve - literally up her sleeve - she managed to take out every single guard.

Everyone knows, electricity and water do not mix well. So throwing a pair of taser disks in a large puddle where the armed guards conveniently stood did the electrocuting trick. Which ensured the two of you to make a narrow escape.

Well, you thought it was a narrow escape. Probably not in the eyes of Romanoff, who considers this business as usual.

Finally having reached the fourth floor, you enter the conference room for the debrief. All eyes promptly turn to you and shift to the package you’re holding. Except for one pair. One person’s green eyes stay fixed on you.

“So nice of you to join us after all, Agent (Y/L/N)”, Agent Romanoff says with the most sarcastic tone and cold gaze ever. You can clearly see the bruises and cuts she received as memories from the mission. Just like you. Yet the pain you feel in your entire body, she doesn’t seem to share. Or, doesn’t show.

You scoff at her remark - let it slide… - and walk with a clenched jaw towards the table to hand over the black case you successfully retrieved from the compound.

Guess it’s back to the bitterness as was before. Let’s just get this over with, you think, fast, and reluctantly sit down next to the other agent that was present on the unforgettable mission with you.

The debrief ended and all you want to do now is lock yourself in your apartment and lie in bed for three days straight. Perhaps binge-watch some popular show on Netflix with some comfort food. Like chocolate, or peanut butter, or ice cream, or…

Chocolate-peanut-butter ice-cream. 

Oh yeah, that sounds nice.

But you can’t. There’s a pressing matter that has to be settled first.

“Wait up!”. You clumsily rush to Natasha who’s quick to exit the finished meeting. 

“You certainly are hard to get rid off”, she says with a half-sigh, clearly not slowing down her pace for you. “Something’s not right”, you state. Pretty certain that the mission to locate the alien technology was a smokescreen for the actual mission. You know, the one you weren’t briefed on. Romanoff remains silent, so you continue, “There’s more going on here and I’m going to find out what it is”. The redhead doesn’t show any sign of interest, or faith, in your story and simply answers, “Don’t make promises you can’t keep”  

“I know what you were searching for at the compound”

“Oh yeah?”, she returns with a playful tone and a small grin. “Yes”, you state resolutely, “And I know you didn’t share that information during the debriefing”

“And apparently you didn’t either”, she sharply counters. Slightly nervous about confronting Agent Romanoff like this, because you’re fully aware of how skilled she is. Not only in combat, but also in manipulation. You take a deep breath before you respond, “Count that as a gesture of goodwill. I’ve just given you the chance to explain yourself”.

She stays quiet, yet the look she gives as she glances over her shoulder tells you that it’s wisest to remain silent and walk the other way. 

Natasha squints her eyes as she studies you. “I’m still trying to figure out why Fury assigned you. I would have perfectly managed on my own”, and turns her head away again.

“Is this the closest to a ‘thank you’ I get for saving your life back there?”, you mock. Natasha stops - finally, your legs were hurting more than you’d care to admit - and faces you. “If you want answers so badly, why not ask Fury himself?”

“Do you think I’ll get an answer?”, you scoff, “I’m probably not even cleared to know-” “Well, there you have your answer”, she interrupts.

Hmm I feel like I didn't think this through, you admit to yourself, desperately contemplating what your next sentence will be.

“Glad we got this solved”, she concludes and continues her path with no worry in the world. “See you around, Agent (Y/L/N)”.

You clench your fists tightly. Normally the secrecy wouldn’t be a problem. You’re used to only receiving the mere basics of an op. That’s just how it goes around here, especially for a level 5. Certain information is classified and you deal with it. 

But this time it’s different. Of course you’re loyal to SHIELD. Unless that loyalty gets you blown to pieces for reasons unknown. You have to draw the line somewhere. So this time, you won’t give up. Besides, Romanoff isn't the only one with tricks up their sleeve.

With a quick sprint, feeling the aching parts of your body more than ever, you place yourself in front of the redhead to block her way, squaring your shoulders to look immensely confident, and ask the distressing question.

“Were we stealing from SHIELD?”. You pull an item from your pocket. The one you found at the destroyed compound.

The item together with your remark earned you the first real, one could call it warm, emotion from Romanoff. In a fraction of a second she has pulled you inside a cramped storage closet closeby and locks the door after. She has grabbed your arm on a painful spot - not that it’s hard to find a painful spot on your body at the moment - and pushes you against the wall.

You grunt, “Ouch, why did you-”. “Where did you get that?”, she expresses with an intimidating gaze. 

“I found it after the blast. You recognize what this is, right? Standard issued communication gear, only used by SHIELD. And it wasn’t from us. So it had to be from one of the men we shot inside the compound”, you conclude while rubbing your arm.

“You can’t just show that here”, is her slightly irritated reaction.

Guess I got your attention now...

You raise your eyebrows. “Then tell me”.

“I told you”, Romanoff states, “It’s classified”.  

You scoff and turn your head away. “It’s always classified. But I don’t give a damn anymore. You almost got us killed, so I want to know what’s going on. Now”.

Cannot believe that you’re talking to a higher level agent like this. And not just ‘some’ higher level agent, but to the one and only Black Widow. However, you’re done with being kept in the dark. Especially if it will cost human lives.

Your life.

It’s hard to read Romanoff’s true expression, yet you see a hint of doubt. But she’s not speaking. So you continue once more, “It was you who tripped the alarm, wasn’t it. And the explosion a fail-safe to destroy all evidence inside. Well, it didn’t. I know that the compound was owned by SHIELD, this being the proof of it”. You hold up the destroyed communication gear again. Romanoff stays quiet, yet keeps her green eyes locked and loaded with tons of frustration on you. Is this some sort of manipulation too?

Is it working?

The seconds of intense staring and terrible silence start to feel like hours by now. “Look,” you sigh, giving in after an excruciating… 9 seconds. Come on, seriously?

“I trust you and if you think you can do this on your own, then fine. But there’s something big going on here and all I wanna do is help. Remember that”.

This isn’t going anywhere, so you reach for the door to unlock it and surprisingly, Romanoff lets you.

You stop at the door opening and turn to her. “I guess you know where to find me”, and throw the evidence you recovered that night to Romanoff who catches it mid-air the moment you leave.

She stares at the broken SHIELD technology in the palm of her hand. Natasha can manage just fine. She has always been on her own. So why change that?

Is it time to make an exception? She scoffs. No. The whole operation went to shit because she wasn’t on her own. And she can’t believe this agent has the nerve to talk to her like that. Being such a smart-ass. Or does it show potential?

Maybe the agent isn’t a complete idiot after all...  

And maybe there’s something else about this agent that draws her attention too. Something she can't put her finger on just yet.

However, the real question is,

Can she trust Agent (Y/L/N)? 

Next part 

Fully briefed and prepared to the last crucial detail at SHIELD Headquarters earlier today. As should be. She has accounted for the best stealth approach, the possibility of running into armed hostiles and a way to take them out quickly and silently, and of course a rapid exit if needed. Accounted for everything.

Well,

almost everything.

She is perfectly capable of preparing and completing an op on her own. But not this time, no. Even though she insisted on working alone, Fury still assigned some help.

As if she needs any.

She can handle herself perfectly fine. Even experienced in taking down aliens during an invasion of New York for god’s sake. So a small mundane assignment from SHIELD would not be a problem for the Black Widow at all.

But no...

She slightly opens her left eyelid to take a peek again at the person who’s sitting opposite her in the compact aircraft. Apparently the other Avengers were too ‘busy’. Steve, Tony, Bruce, Thor, even Barton. All off duty, off earth, or unreachable. So she's fed up with some inexperienced level 5 SHIELD agent.

Great. 

Eyes shut, but you’re fully aware of the redhead across from you, burning right through you with her green eyes. Occasionally taking a quick peek, she watches you like a hawk. She made it clear that your presence here is unwanted. You yourself are also not so sure why you’re here. Yet, you were assigned this mission by the Director himself, so it must be with reason. Besides, you can’t turn down an assignment, especially if Fury is the one who requested you.

So here you are. On a quinjet with the most impressive agent associated with SHIELD. The perfect spy. The most deadly assassin. And above all, the most stunning woman you’ve ever seen.

Agent Romanoff.

Or her other infamous name, 

Black Widow.

You can’t help but feel as if you’re not worthy enough to work together with her. Or rather, not good enough. Although, at the moment you’re more worried about not screwing this mission up. Are you here because you are the only suitable choice? The perfect agent for this specific situation? Or are you here because you’re just one of the many expandable agents? Judging by Agent Romanoff's attitude, it’s probably the latter.

Then you snap your eyes open, the exact same time as Romanoff, because of a commanding voice directed at both.

“Agents, be ready. 1 minute out”, you hear through the earpiece and curtly reply, “Copy that”,  trying your best to hide the nervousness in your voice, caused by an intimidating redhead who’s also preparing herself for what is about to come.

Sensing a wave of cold air entering the cargo hold, you perform one last check. Glock, spare ammo, knife, night vision goggles, harness secured, and crucial if you want to survive the next couple of minutes, 

The parachute.

You look to your left, seeing Romanoff do the same, and shift your gaze to the view in front of you. Heartbeat pounding in your chest, it never becomes normal. For you at least. Without saying a word both agents run and jump, leaving the plane behind high above in the sky while disappearing into the unknown darkness. Trading a pitch black view for a pixelated green one, provided by the NVG's, you're able to navigate the way down. Allowing gravity to do its work, you fall as the distance to earth rapidly decreases. You move your head sideways and see a green silhouette representing Natasha who carelessly moves through the chilly air as if it’s business as usual.

The timing has to be perfect. Can’t open the parachute too early, because it could leave you exposed for too long. But can’t open the parachute too late, which could lead to a rough landing with a maximum possibility of breaking a bone or two in the process.

3…, 2…, 1…

You tug on the cord and slow down in an instant as the parachute opens. Natasha does the same a few seconds later. Both make a perfect landing, manoeuvring through a small opening in the dense pinewood forest.

She has to admit, impressive for a level 5. Not everyone could’ve pulled off that tricky landing. The agents clear away the parachutes and hide it underneath a pile of dead branches and leaves, erasing any evidence that could alert your presence here. Intelligence suggested that alien technology - high probability it was recovered from the battle of New York - is located in a remote compound 2 kilometres from here. Guarded 24/7, which gives the clear impression there’s indeed something important stored. Couldn’t be more obvious, Natasha thinks. With her vision improved by the NV-tech, she easily makes her way through the dark woods, when suddenly she hears a heavy voice behind her.

“Do we have a problem here?”, her fellow SHIELD agent asks, because the tension is killing. “As long as you don’t hold me back, then no”, Natasha replies stoically, not making eye contact. These actually being the first words spoken to each other since the briefing at HQ.

“I’m also here to complete the mission in case you forgot”, you snap at her.

“I’m aware of that”, she responds with a bitter tone, giving a brief glance over her shoulder at you, “less talking, more running”

Natasha is aware that she’s on clean-up duty. The mess that was created in New York is showing its aftereffects more frequently by the day, yet the other Avengers are nowhere to be seen. And they call themselves superheroes… 

So maybe she shouldn’t take it all out on the SHIELD agent, who’s actually here to help. 

Yeah, maybe.

Having reached the tree-line, Natasha halts, keeping herself in the cover of the trees. She crouches down and sees you take something from the backpack.

You peer through the binoculars, having removed the NVG’s first and say, “I know you don't want me here, you made that clear already-”. “I didn't say anything”, she interjects when you hand the binoculars to her. “Not with words no, but it's clear alright”, you answer.

Natasha stays quiet and looks into your eyes for a second before she moves her gaze to the compound to study it too. Without a reaction to your comment she stands up. “Let’s go”

You give her a confident nod. “I’m ready, Agent Romanoff”

The stealth approach is blocked by a 2.5 metre tall metal fence. No stress. A little bit of iron won’t stop the Black Widow. Low to the ground, out of sight for the hourly, armed patrol that just walked by, she cuts into the chain-links, creating a narrow opening in the fence. Both belly-crawl through to get inside the perimeter. Now fully exposed, you have to close the distance of 50 meters fast. Eleven seconds later you’re with your back against the brick wall of the compound.

The Widow Bites of one Natasha Romanoff short-circuit the electronic keypad and miraculously the locked door is open. Before entering, you look at your watch. “We have precisely 54 minutes before the next patrol passes and will spot the busted lock”

A grin forms and Natasha glances at you. “Should be more than enough for us”

You don’t know what happened or how she did it, but a feeling of pure excitement washes over your entire body. It’s those green eyes...   

Focus.

After a silent countdown, you slowly open the door at zero to check if the hallway is clear and give a curt nod to Romanoff.   

Natasha enters second and has taken her Glock from the thigh-holster to cover the rear, while her collegue covers the front. Is she feeling guilty? About her coldness towards the agent with her on this mission, who seems able to keep up with her just fine? - Not perfect, but everyone has to start somewhere, right. 

Then she starts to wonder why Fury chose this specific agent. He does everything with reason. Everything. So what would’ve been his reason to-

“Why me? Yeah, I’ve been asking myself that same question”, you say in a whisper-like voice, still focusing on the surroundings for possible movement. With a slightly surprised tone Natasha answers, “I didn’t ask”. “Well, you didn’t have to” 

Recalling the complete lay-out, you know that this is the time to split up and state, “Update when on location, okay”, and see Agent Romanoff nod and sprint away in the opposite direction. You can't help but stare at her longer than necessary, eyes fixed on the woman’s magnetizing figure, and turn around only after you’ve lost sight of the redhead. It wasn’t necessary to do that at all, you know that, yet you still did it. Let’s just continue with the mission.

According to the ground plan the alien weapon could be stored in two distinct rooms. You’re currently off to one and Romanoff to the other. Moving at a rather fast pace, you’ve reached the location quickly. The entrance is unlocked. Must be your lucky day. The large storage room is filled with items stacked in rows of industrial racks. It doesn’t take long and your eyes eventually shift over a black plastic case with a familiar serial number.

Found it.

“Romanoff, I’ve got it”. You put the compact case inside your backpack and receive back, “Copy that”

Well, that wasn’t so hard, was it? This could’ve easily been a one-person job though. But who cares, it’s done. The package is secured. No mistakes. No casualties. And above all, you didn’t make a fool out of yourself in front of Romanoff. Nothing to be nervous about anymore. Relax.

Okay, maybe not yet. First, get out of this place. 

You make your way to the rendezvous point with still 35 minutes on the clock. Perfectly on time. Without warning a deafening noise fills the hallway. The industrial white lights shut down and red lights start to flash instead. Shit, that can only mean one thing.

You’ve been discovered. 

Accelerating your pace, you rush to Agent Romanoff. Except, she’s not at the rendezvous point. What is she even doing?! You called it in, you have the package, what more is there? The screens she is surrounded by indicate a countdown. Anybody can figure out what that implies...

“This place is about to blow in minutes, come on! We have to get the hell out of here”, you shout at Romanoff while standing in the door opening of the room, “Now!”

“Just a second”, Natasha replies calmly, keeping her eyes focused on the screen in front of her. “We don’t have seconds! We need to go!”, you bellow at her, partly to counter the roaring alarm, and partly because you see the count is almost less than 1 minute. And you need at least half a minute to reach the exit, in an optimal situation that is.

“Then go”. “No”, you say, steadfast, “I don’t leave an agent behind. No matter how stubborn they are”. Natasha rolls her eyes and sighs, I almost forgot why I wanted to do this alone…

50 seconds left. Finally done with whatever was so important, she dashes through the door opening, scooting past you, and says, “Less talking, more running”

“What were you even doing there?”, you pant, sprinting as fast as you can, hopefully on time to make it out alive. 

45 seconds left. Maybe your thoughts about Romanoff were wrong. “Level 5 agents are not cleared to know that information”, is the answer you have to settle for. You hate it when that line is used. So she has a side-mission? Guess you just found the true reason why you are here and not some level 8. 

30 seconds left. Or is she just using that line to cover for her own, selfish actions? Better focus on escaping first. Otherwise there’s literally nothing else to worry about anymore. Only one turn to go and the exit will be in sight. Then Natasha decides to speak, because what else would you use your breath for. “Besides, she scoffs, “if you weren’t just standing there, watching me run away, this wouldn’t have happened. I could have gone to the control room straight away. Now I had to make a detour”

“Wait- what? So now it’s my fau-”. But before you can make the turn, Agent Romanoff pulls you back. Followed by multiple shots fired that would’ve otherwise torn through your torso if Romanoff hadn’t stopped you. Romanoff and you quickly take the two hostiles out with the Glocks in limited vision as the only light provided is a flashing red glow.  

10 seconds. The door bursts open and both agents set foot outside, running away from the building that is about to be levelled to the ground. 

5 seconds. Faster, faster! Feeling your leg muscles burn, but you can’t stop. You need to create as much distance as possible in the limited time left. The pressure-wave that will be created in a couple of seconds could have disastrous consequences to a human body if too close. And you rather not find out what those specifics are in person.  

0 seconds. The enormous blast knocks you over, harshly crashing down on the solid concrete. Unfortunately in a puddle of cold water created by the heavy rainfall during the daytime. Perfect.

There’s an awful, ringing sound in your ears, overpowering all the other noises. A groan escapes your mouth as you try to lift your head up and feel it pounding like crazy. In a pretty disoriented state yourself, you see Romanoff next to you, lying on the ground. 

She’s not moving.

That didn’t go as planned. The whole compound just went up in flames. What the hell was inside of that building? You start to wonder, so important it had to be blown to pieces...

You lift your head up once more and concentrate on your rapid breathing to slow it down. I need to get up, now! We need to- Wait… what the hell? How did that get here?

Your eyes catch something suspicious in front of you. Probably ended up there by the blast. You quickly grab the item and pocket it. With all the strength left, you push yourself off the ground and try to get your bearings. “We need to go. Get up”, you say with a low voice, helping Agent Romanoff stand up, who also received the full shock wave of the explosion and appears to be processing what damage she took.

But there’s no time for that.

Men are approaching in the distance. First guess, not so friendly. Could be due to the assault rifles hanging around their shoulders. It will only be a matter of seconds before they spot you and,  

well, 

Kill you.

Where did they even come from?! Were they waiting for you? Intel suggested there would be a maximum of 5 people on the perimeter during nighttime. You’re not a math genius, but you spot at least twice that number. Given false intelligence, cold and drenched, almost blown up and buried underneath a pile of bricks,

What else is there to come huh? 

A spray of bullets is fired in your direction - yeah, shouldn't have said that... - and you blindly fire back while rushing to the only escape route possible at the moment.

The entrance of the compound - with a variety of getaway vehicles - is blocked by the men with guns. So the iron fence it is. You’ve made it there, but before Romanoff can crawl through the small opening created by herself, you shout, “Romanoff!”, and realize she probably can’t hear you. Her sense of hearing was also affected by the loud explosion. In a fraction of a second you grab her by the waist instead to pull her down.

Both flat on the ground again, this time in the muddy grass. You have one arm around Agent Romanoff, the other to cover your head as a projectile flies by.

Another explosion is heard. Evaded just in time, but that one was close. Too damn close. Certain that for the next one you won’t be so lucky. It just doesn’t make any sense. It’s as if they were alerted you’d be here tonight. Alerted by Romanoff? Or by another agent? Perhaps by SHIELD?

About to be surrounded by the armed guards, not likely to escape from this alive, unless you come up with a brilliant plan right now. But your mind isn’t working. Still in shock, your whole body hurts, cold, bleeding, and all you can think about is,

They were expecting us

It was a trap

And we walked right into it...

Yet... Nothing happens. Did she miss?

“What the hell are you doing?! Let's go!”, you perceive, slowly opening your eyelids and removing your arms away from your face. Frost has grabbed you and pulls you with her. Still able to peak over your shoulder, you notice a guy knocked out cold on the dirty ground. A nasty scar on his face and one fake eye. So, she didn't aim at you but at that guy? 

“Wait- What just happened?! Who was that?”, you exclaim in total confusion as KF drags you with her, sensing her cold hand on your arm through your jacket. I’ve never been so unfocused before. You didn't even hear the guy approaching, having absolutely no clue what just went down. 

Moving towards a better lit hallway, Frost starts to explain that they (Caitlin and herself) started to work for someone real shady after leaving Central City. “It got out of hand and Caitlin reached out to ask for help. I told her I could handle it on my own, but Caitlin wouldn’t listen. And now look where it got us…”. She sighs and rolls her eyes. “Barry and Cisco both captured by our employer. Idiots”. You look at her hand and back to her. “Um… Frost, you're still, like, holding me”.

She scoffs, “I know that!”, and quickly lets go. She continues: “First we have to free Barry and Cisco. Unfortunately. Got it?”

“Yes, loud and clear”. This is not the Killer Frost you briefly met in the cold, misty woods months ago. The Killer Frost that had attacked her ‘friends’ with real rage and aggression. Angry at them and angry at the entire world around her.

She has changed.  

“And what was that thing Caitlin wanted to ask me?”, you remember, returning to the unanswered question from before the sudden ice blast. Maybe there’s a reason Caitlin didn’t ask for my help earlier at STAR Labs. Clearly made visible by the event that had just happened. You’d only be a burden. Besides, why would she choose you over The Flash anyway?

“Oh, that. She first wanted to ask for your help only. But Caity was embarrassed about the shit mess we got ourselves into”. These words make you feel happy but also slightly disappointed. She obviously could have asked you. Out of everybody, you were the last person to judge her.

“You should know, she kind of likes y-”, Frost interrupts herself. “Shhh, quiet”, she snaps at you. But… you weren't even talking? 

Both hide behind a large crate now that two suspicious men are approaching. “Can you use your powers?”, KF whispers at you, observing the guys. “No, not from this distance. But I can still fight them you know”. “I bet you can”, she answers while scanning your figure briefly.

Having decided each would take out one, Frost dives from behind the crates and attacks. You do the same and swiftly jump on the other. Creating enough momentum, you throw him over your shoulder and finish up with a high-speed elbow in his face, sending him to sleep for a nice couple of hours. Standing up again, you see KF nod at you with a grin on her face. “Impressive, (Y/N)”

Other thugs follow from the middle entrance. But this time with guns. Killer Frost pushes you away in time, both her hands placed on your chest firmly. The bullets are fired at the spot you were standing seconds when Frost harshly pins you to the wall. Her cold body is pressed against your warm one due the force she used. Warmer than usual… You heat up as her blue lips are close to your red ones. Noticing a teasing look starting to appear on KF's face when she bites her lip. Both staring into each other's eyes and Frost slowly leans in. Then you snap out of it. She has already pulled back and is currently attacking the men with weapons that are not freeze-proof, just as the men. Lucky for Killer Frost.

She knocks them out with a powerful cold blast. Too easy. And finishes by sending a daring wink your way. Impressed by the work she just delivered, Frost gives herself an imaginary pat on the back while eyeing that cute firefighter who’s with her. Who’s actually looking back at her with a rather strange expression...

“Watch out!”, you yell, sprinting towards a distracted Killer Frost, “Behind you!”. But you’re too late. Someone ambushed her. KF is now on the ground and you throw yourself in front of the guy. Anger fueling your body, you knock him out with a combo of three powerful punches and his body hits the ground with a dull thud. 

Rushing towards Frost and you take her in your arms. Her hair slowly turns into hazel brown, lips from blue to red, yet her eyes remain closed. She’s turning back into Caitlin. Set in motion by you. 

“No… Not now…”, you grunt. Your powers are unwillingly emerging again. Great timing. 

Suddenly an electrifying pain shoots through your body, originating from the back of your head. You instantly lose consciousness and black out, still holding Caitlin tight.

///

Waking up with a pounding in your head as if a hammer is hitting the inside of your skull. You cautiously open your eyes and vaguely see the silhouette of a woman. Caitlin. Her beautiful brown eyes staring at you... with a pretty concerned look. Why?

“Can you sit upright?”, she asks with an anxious voice. Carefully doing what Caitlin says, you notice that she’s wearing power dampening cuffs. Yet, you are not. They don't know your powers? Gotta admit you're not as obvious as Barry or Cisco. Perks of not having a superhero-suit, you guess. Your hands are tied though. Turning your head around to take in the surroundings that is an old, dark holding-cell. A hundred percent certain you’re still in the same building as earlier, because the smell is definitely the same.

“How are you feeling?”, Caitlin continues, now next to you with one hand on your shoulder. “I-I don’t know, maybe... a little light-headed?”. Wait- you remember. You got struck from behind with an awfully hard object. Probably got a head wound or something, hence the killer headache. You try to reach the back of your head with bound hands to inspect the injury. Man… your head is really pounding like crazy. Not surprised when you view your hands only to discover they’ve turned red. Blood.

Great. This really is the last thing you need above all the other mistakes of today...

Sensing you’re slipping away, you hear Caitlin again. “(Y/N)! Stay awake, we have to get out of here!”, she says, slightly panicking. 

“I-I… yeah, well, what do you want me to do?”, you return a bit slurring, staring into Caitlins worrisome eyes.

“Come on, let me help you up”. Weakly, you put your tied arms around Caitlin so she can support you. Both hobble toward the metal bars that confine you from leaving.

“I was thinking, maybe you could heat up the metal, so that it becomes deformable?”, she suggests with a thoughtful, calm tone.

“I-I can try”. You hesitate. Are you able to use your powers? Especially now that you’re wounded? It’s already hard to fully concentrate on a task, let alone melting a rigid material like metal. You slowly grab the bars, clenching them tight, trying to focus. Eyes closed, you can feel the iron in the palms of your hands. Heat up. 

Just heat up!

Nothing happens. The metal remains cold and inflexible. Not even remotely able to bend it in the current state. It’s not working. You open your eyes and turn to Caitlin. “It- it’s… nothing…”, stuttering as you lose all hope. You already messed everything else up today, so why did you expect this would even work? It’s useless. You’re useless. Now I understand why Caitlin didn’t ask for my help…

“No, don’t give up”. A warm hand is placed on your shoulder, squeezing you lightly. “You can do this (Y/N). I know you can”, words spoken with the most tender voice you’ve ever heard. “I believe in you”, Caitlin eases, “I trust you”. You nod slightly, feeling every word she just said when an intense warmth ripples through your body. You close your eyes once again. Inhaling deeply and focusing on the rusted metal in front of you. Exhale. Concentrating on the infinitely many iron molecules packed inside the rods. Inhale again. Blocking everything else around. And exhale. You sense the structure changing. Slowly. Softening. Shifting. And moving.  

The metal is heating up, finally, and bent into a shape just wide enough for a person to fit through. But it cost a lot of effort, considering you're badly wounded. You almost fainted, but Caitlin managed to catch you before you dropped down. Quickly escaping, you don’t even notice you’re moving and start to slip away again. Feeling a wave of nauseousness hitting you, probably also having a concussion caused by the forceful blow on your head. But you have to keep holding on, as Caitlin keeps repeating.

With blurry sight you make out a person in the distance who’s wearing a bright red suit. And wearing power dampening cuffs. It’s Barry, with next to him Cisco, also cuffed. 

“Caitlin!”, you hear them shout in unison, now feeling loss of contact with the woman supporting you. Carefully placing you in front of the cell where Barry and Cisco are held captive, she kneels down in front of you. You sense her soft hand touching your cheek.

“Try to keep your eyes open for me”, she whispers at you, “okay?”. Skin feeling cold again now that she let go. In fact, your whole body starts to feel cold. You hear Cisco instructing Caitlin to grab something, but his exact words remain a mystery to you. Maybe he knows how to take off the high-tech cuffs. Or at least you’re hoping he knows how to unlock those, because you’re in no state of freeing them too, which leaves the team trapped inside this building still. Or worse... 

“We have to get out of here! Stay with me (Y/N)”. You faintly perceive Caitlin’s words, along with the sound of several heavy footsteps approaching. But you’re slipping away again and your eyelids become heavy. Maybe... just close my eyes for a few secon-

Losing consciousness, you’re not able to hear the angry cursing and shouting along with the distressed voices of your friends anymore.

///

A headache. The worst you have ever had. Ugh, my head feels as if it's been used as a basketball... Hold on, you have to wake up. Now. You’re still in danger, as are Barry, Cisco and Caitlin. You open your eyes but shut them again, caused by the way too intense light inside… Wait-

STAR Labs?

Opening your eyes with more caution now, you catch the silhouette of Caitlin, back turned towards you, busy with some medical equipment on a steel table placed against the wall. You want to sit upright, yet all that happens is an agonizing groan escaping your mouth.

“Easy, easy”. Alerted by the discomforting sound behind her, Caitlin promptly moves to the bedside to stop you. “You have a bad concussion”. You anxiously reach for your head and feel it's bandaged up. “Relax, (Y/N). We’re safe now, alright?”, Caitlin eases. As a reaction to your disoriented state, she takes your hands in a soft grip to put them down again. “And I also took care of the wound on the back of your head. You’re gonna be fine”

“Thanks”, you say with a husky voice. Suddenly feeling guilty about passing out before the danger had passed. Before everyone was safe. Much help you provided there.

“No, thank you. You saved us”. She smiles sheepishly and glances at the floor. “You saved me. Again”

“No problem, really”, you answer right away and lock eyes with her, “I said I would always be there to help if you needed any. And I meant it”. Her smile turns into a brighter one, making her brown eyes glint in the still too intense light.

“Um, Caitlin…”, you motion with your eyes down, “you’re still, like, holding my hand”. She blushes a little and replies, “I know”. 

By now the others of team Flash have noticed you’re awake and quickly join around the bed. Iris asks how you’re feeling, glad that she called you in to help, but was also concerned when she saw your gaping head-wound when The Flash carried you into The Cortex. Cisco thanks you, and is already discussing potential suit designs with functions you probably won’t be needing. Barry just gives a curt nod, probably pissed he got captured in the first place. Then they all turn to Caitlin because Cisco has asked the question of which they’re all dying to know the answer to. Has she decided what to do now?

“Well…”, Caitlin begins with a thoughtful look, “I think I’ll stay for now. I’ve missed you guys. Missed my family”, she says while looking at the team. But does that include you? Where do I fit in?

As if Iris can read thoughts, she suddenly interrupts. “I think (Y/N) needs some rest first”, she says with raised eyebrows aimed at you. Is there some secret communication going on you’re unaware of? “So we’ll leave you to it, right guys”, Iris continues and takes Cisco and Barry with her, basically dragging the naive boys far enough away. 

Caitlin is the last to leave. She stands up and wants to let go of your hand which she was still holding. Yet, you don’t let her. “Wait, Caitlin-”

“Yes?”, she returns expectantly. Perhaps you did pick up on what Iris was trying to tell you after all.  

“Is Team Flash the only reason you decided to stay?”, you ask carefully. She stares at you for a second and answers, “Well, yes”.

“Oh...”, you mutter and avert your gaze to the floor, more than disappointed. 

However, Caitlin wasn’t done and speaks again, “Because apparently there’s this new member on the team”. You glance back at her.

“Maybe I’d like to get to know this person better”, she suggests. Is that so, you think, staying quiet and patiently waiting for the rest. “A firefighter, with heating powers”.

“Sounds like a good match”, you say with a suggestive tone, “Heat and Cold. Completing one another”.

Before you know it you’ve asked the question that has been occupying your mind for a while now, under the heavy frustration of Iris.

“You wanna grab a coffee at Jitters sometime?”. “Sounds like a date”, she answers with a soft smile, “But first you need to rest”.

Imitating a voice as if following an order, you say, “Yes, I shall rest, Dr. Snow”, when she places a soft kiss on the back of your hand before slowly letting go. Her warm touch imprinted on your skin, you watch her leave until she is out of sight.

Now all alone, you suddenly feel yourself heating up. You close your eyes and immediately fall asleep because you’re so exhausted by everything that has happened today. A warmth ripples through your body, exhausted, yes, but also happy. Drifting away in a peaceful, dreamy sleep...