Authors Note: Just so you guys know. One this is not chapter 17, it is chapter one. And two, I had to re-upload this as something went wrong the first time. Sorry!

Chapter 1

New York, 7:34 am

Natasha was getting coffee. This was not unnatural, as Natasha knew she pretty much survived off the substance. No, the unnatural thing was that Natasha was not on a mission today; not busting some illegal trade, or beating up some crime lord, or saving the world. No, today was her 'day off'. Which meant today was looking to be a very boring day indeed.

There were two others in the cafe with her, a boy and a girl. Not surprising seeing as it was 7:30 in the morning. The surprising part was that they were young, strangely so- shouldn't they be in school? The boy couldn't be a day over 20 and the girl with him; maybe 16?- They were sitting in a booth by a window, hunched over papers scattered across the tabletop. Natasha squinted, blueprints and maps? What? Both were talking in low tones and occasionally making gestures with their hands. The girl was highlighting and outlining certain things with a sharpie and the paper before her.

This piqued her interest. Maybe they were working on a school project. She thought, but then quickly dismissed it. Well, only one way to find out. Natasha casually walked forward, coffee in hand, catching a snippet of their conversation.

"And if we went around here, and then there...No, that won't work either, but maybe..." The girl trailed off and groaned and her partner sitting across from her dropped his head into his hands.

"What are we doing Amber? We should be living life, not strategizing, not making battle plans. Not fighting in a war."

"I know," She says softly, "I know."

Now every instinct in Natasha was screaming suspicious! Danger And, Gather information! So, Natasha waved goodbye to her 'day off' and did what she did best. She slipped into spy mode.

The girl, Amber, wasn't it? Reached into a black backpack beside her and drew out a laptop. the screen has little green number that look like code scrolling across it and she types a string of commands in. Up pops a map-ish thing of the United States- red and black points are littered all over the place. At the top of the screen, it says something but Natasha, frustratingly, can't read it.

The laptop is turned to the boy and they begin to converse again, this time tapping and pointing to various things on the map displayed on the screen. Natasha pretends to sip her coffee while leaning against the wall and listens closer.

"No, I haven't heard from Lila's group yet, thankfully, their territory is safe, for now. But Pandora's on the move. Again." She sounds thoroughly exasperated and goes and taps on a red dot in what Natasha recognizes as California. "Last I heard, they took over an old Hydra base in Francisco."

Natasha freezes. Hydra? She thought they were gone! She makes a split-second decision- if there was one thing that being an assassin taught you, it was to never assume anything until you had all the facts, and all the cards to be played. Natasha's hand drifts down to where her phone, along with a spare throwing knife, is kept, and S.H.I.E.L.D is only a call away.

But, Natasha's luck has run out. Amber notices Natasha standing there. Her eyes are cold and calculating, hardened. They show no emotion- a look that rivals Natasha's own. Her gaze narrows. She looks at Natasha and Natasha's blood runs ice cold, it was like she was looking straight through her soul. With that and a look at her partner, understanding flashing in their eyes, she closes the laptop with a snap, and then stuffs it in her bag. All while the boy gathers up the papers scattered on the table and puts them in the backpack as well. They stand quickly and the boy hefts the backpack over his shoulder. Amber grabs what looks like a napkin and scribbled something on it. Both start to casually walk toward the door, the boy goes outside first, but Amber changes course abruptly.

She brushes right past Natasha and disappears out the doorway into the bustling streets of New York City. Natasha is pondering on whether or not to follow them because that would be the logical thing, the acted so unsuspiciously that it was suspicious. Then she feels something in her closed fist, a piece of paper rest crumpled in her palm. Dread shoots through Natasha and, praying she won't regret it, she looks down.

Don't try and follow us.

You wouldn't be able to anyway.

You do not want to get mixed up in this mess.

-Nightwalker and Shadow

Natasha swears, not caring who hears. This is bad. Very bad.