Prologue
What if. What. If. Two simple words but put them together and they have the ability to haunt you for the rest of your life. The Avengers find themselves asking that question more than anyone else. What if we'd got there two seconds faster? What is we'd split up and searched the compound that way? What if we'd gone left instead of right? What if Loki never came? What if we lost and Loki took over Earth?
Natasha Romanoff found herself asking those two words more often than anyone out of the group. One question though always stuck out more than the other ones. 'What if I'd died from the enhancers like the girls before me and the Black Widow program was shut down? Would the world be a better place?' Questions like these have haunted Natasha's mind for as long as she can remember. Growing up in the Red Room wasn't a happy childhood to say the least. Now she's out, free from the monsters who ruined her life forever, she can't help but question what would have happened if things had gone only the slightest bit differently. Millions of scenarios have gone through her head over the years and it always amazes her how one decision could have changed her whole life. But what Natasha doesn't know is just how much the Black Widow, the Red Room, her whole life shaped the world they live in today.
Natasha rushed through the hall killing as she went. The Avengers had been called to take down a new AIM facility in South Korea. According to an undercover Agent they had designed and built a devise that could beam people or things to parallel universes or vice versa. S.H.I.E.L.D. was more concerned about things coming the other why, as any normal person would be, so that's why the Avengers were there. To destroy the machine and all plans/files on it and take anyone who knows how to build it back to S.H.I.E.L.D. If you asked Natasha for her opinion she thinks the bloody piece of junk won't work, but apparently there's a small chance it will so they have to destroy everything related to it. They'd arrived at the compound an hour ago and slowly but surely they'd made their way to the main hall. AIM, when taken by surprise never put up that much of a fight.
She was in the middle of the room when she noticed one of the scientist point the devise at Rosie. Rosie's back was to the machine and all the other Avengers hadn't noticed. Instinctively Natasha ran to Rosie.
"ROSIE MOVE!" she cried as the scientist started up the machine. Rosie span round to see the machine fired at her. Natasha leaped into the air and rugby tackled her out the way.
"NATASHA!" Rosie screamed as the beam hit her. That caught the Avengers attention. If it was one thing Rosie had it was an amazing pair of lungs. Natasha felt something strong drag her backwards. She desperately tried to grab onto something and eventually a hand grabbed hers. She looked up to see Hawkeye trying to pull her back.
"Hold on Tasha!" he cried but she could feel herself slipping out of his grasp.
"I love you Clint. Remember that," she told him. She had no idea what was going to happen to her once she was out of his grasp.
"I love you too, that's why I need you to hold on. TONY SHUT IT DOWN!" Hawkeye cried.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK I'M TRYING TO DO?!" Iron Man screamed back from behind the machine. All the other Avengers were too busy trying to protect Clint and Tony to help Natasha themselves.
"I love you so much," she whispered quietly just before she slipped out of his grasp.
"TAHSA!" Clint cried as he reached for her hand but she was just out of reach.
"CLINT!" she cried back just as the portal closed leaving her to fall into oblivion.