Natasha Romanoff woke to the unbearable clinking sound of metal rubbed against itself, followed by an awful stench that struck her nose.
She opened her eyes, and sat up slowly. Where am I? She thought to herself. Her memory seemed hazy, unfocused. With a flash, she remembered… she remembered the fight with Thanos, most of the other Avengers dying: Tony, Steve, Thor, Wanda, T'Challa, Stephen Strange, Scott. Even Loki was there to help. And Clint…. No! She had seen Clint lying there, and she had done something… but what was it?
Her thoughts were interrupted when a sharp pain erupted on her lower back. What the hell? she thought as her hand flies to the spot, wincing as she touched it. The pain burned through her skin, forcing her to remember the exact event that caused it:
She was branded.
She looks around, hoping to get a sense of where she was. She could see clearly in all 4 directions. She was in a cell… outside? She stands slowly, her head spinning in a sickening motion, right when she hears the growls coming from behind her.
