Hi guys, Rush here. Yesterday I was watching the Avengers, and I wondered, what must be going on inside Natasha's head right now? So this story kinda spun out of that. I'm planning on doing the Avengers, and I might do Iron Man 2 and Captain America 2 as well (after it comes out on DVD).

Disclaimer, Which I always forget about: I own nothing. Nothing nothing nothing. No matter how much I beg and plead my parents to buy me the Avengers for my birthday, they don't (pouty face). So yeah. I wish I could say that I was the one who played Natasha Romanoff, giving me the rights, somewhat, to her in this movie, but that role was taken by the ever-amazing Scarlett Johansson. So pouty face. Okay, Chapter One, come on down!


Natasha was tied to a chair, getting punched and slapped. Pathetic. They knew who she was, they knew her legacy and reputation, and yet she was getting slapped. Wimps. But perhaps her 'pretty face' was helping her. It also probably helped that she looked flattered when he called her pretty. But that's all part of the play. Natasha knew that she was beautiful. If she wasn't, she wouldn't make half as good a spy, with guys underestimating her. It was insulting, but it got the job done. Meanwhile, Luchkov was "interrogating her", while simultaneously telling her everything she needed to know about his operation. But of course, he didn't know that. He didn't know what her mission was. He still thought she worked for the Russian government. He was playing with some of the "torture devices" on the table, no doubt to threaten her. She might have to pull the scared little girl routine. That usually worked. It wouldn't be to hard to make the tears believable. That's the problem with thugs. They are so sexist. It's demeaning. Natasha was just about to break into tears when a phone rang. Her phone. One of the thugs answered it.

"Это для нее. (It's for her)" he said, handing the phone to Luchkov. Wait, really? Someone called my phone, and they want to talk to me? No shit, Sherlock!

Luchkov began to attempt threatening the person on the other end, presumably Coulson, but he was cut off. Natasha could just make out, yep, Coulson, on the other end saying, "We have an F22 exactly 8 miles out. Put the woman on the phone or I will blow the block before you can make the lobby." The phone was thrust at Natasha, who struggled to hold it to her ear with her shoulder.

"We need you to come in," Coulson started, sounding all official-like.

"Are you kidding? I'm working!" Natasha was pissed. She had spent a month on a chaotic solo mission for this moment, this information. She wasn't just going to give it up.

"This takes precedence." Coulson wasn't messing around.

"I'm in the middle of an interrogation; this moron is giving me everything," she said, and Luchkov looked at his goons, confused. Well that was an interrogation wasted. Oh well, he was too stupid to give a thrill anyway.

"I not... give everything," he said with a thick Russian accent. Natasha gave him a look that said 'seriously, think about what you just told me.'

"Look, you can't pull me out of this right now-" Natasha wasn't going down without a fight, but she got cut off with the words she hoped she would never have to hear.

"Natasha... Barton's been compromised," Phil said. To anyone else, his tone was impassive, but Natasha could hear the sympathy and pain in his voice. Her blood ran cold. Clint. He was her partner in every meaning of the word. Her savior. Her partner. Her husband. Her soulmate. Her body felt like it was shutting down. But she couldn't deal with that right now. There were goons leering at her, waiting for her to kick their asses. So she kept her face blank, and said, "Let me put you on hold," and gestured for Luchkov to take the phone.

Now, I cannot adequately describe what happened next, for I am not a super ninja. So, either go watch this scene in Marvel's The Avengers, or read my description:

Badass badass badass lots of flippy things, break the chair, badass badass more flippy things, attack Luchkov and badass-ly throw him down two stories with a chain wrapped around his legs, smirk. All in about 30 seconds. Not bad. She really likes her flippy things!

Natasha picked up the phone and grabbed her shoes, resuming her conversation with Coulson as if she hadn't just taken down three thugs in the most badass way possible.

"Where's Barton now?" she asked. Barton. She hadn't called him that in years, but she felt the need to distance herself. If he had been compromised...she couldn't even think.

"We don't know," Coulson said, pain in his voice.

"But he's alive," Natasha said, but it was more of a statement than a question. Because he couldn't not be dead. He couldn't just up and leave her like that. He wasn't allowed to.

"We think so. I'll brief you on everything when you get back. But first, we need you to talk to the Big Guy." Coulson said,ensuring that she had something to keep her mind occupied. It worked.

"Coulson, you know that Stark trusts me about as far as he can throw me,"Natasha said with a smile. She remembered the look on her former "boss's" face when he found out who she really was. It was priceless.

"Oh, I've got Stark. You get the Big Guy," Coulson said, hanging up. Natasha stopped in her tracks. The Big Guy as in...the Hulk?

"боже мой!" Natasha muttered. Tread lightly, Romanoff.

She made her way out of the abandoned building to the car that SHIELD had waiting for her. Inside was her overnight bag. Every field agent had one for missions. If you were delayed, or couldn't get back to H.Q., they made sure you had your overnight bag. Natasha rarely used hers anymore, because of her track record, but Coulson must have sent it. Alone, in Russia, with a compromised partner is not a good combination. She was glad to have it. She got in the car and drove to her hotel, checking in under Nancy Reed. She made her way up the stairs - never trust elevators - and to her room. When she closed the door, she broke. She stumbled, and then sank to the floor. She couldn't think; she couldn't breathe. She couldn't function without him. The tears lingered over her eyelashes, but they refused to fall. She hadn't cried since she was ten years old and they killed her little brother, Aleksei. But that had fueled her to fight back, and escape the Red Room. But she didn't know how to fight back now. She didn't know what had happened to him, or how. Coulson said he'd brief her when she got back, but she couldn't go yet. She had to find Banner. Fun times. And she doubted flirting would work on him. Word was he had a girlfriend. Damn, that meant she was down to her impossibly quick thinking. Oh well. But as a scientist, intelligence and logic would probably work better anyway.

Natasha pulled herself up off of the floor and grabbed her bag. She left her gun by the door, and boiled some water for tea. She then opened her bag, finding what she'd put in it about five years ago. On top was the file on Banner, which she put aside to read later. Under that were a few protein bars, which she promptly threw away without checking the expiration dates, and her catsuit, weapons included. Then came her pajamas. A pair of red cotton shorts, and one of Clint's shirts. After a horrible mission, at a banquet no less, she was left in a tiny dress that was torn to shreds. He'd been her backup, not needing to wear the full tux, so he gave her his shirt. She never gave it back. That was 6 years ago, right after Budapest. Natasha clutched the shirt to her chest with a sigh. In the bottom of her bag was a little packet of black Russian tea. She let it brew while she changed out of her little black dress. It was a shame, too. The dress had been one of her favorites, and now, thanks to Luchkov, it looked like crap. She muttered a few curses about him in various languages, and pulled on her shorts. When she slipped the shirt over her head, it swished over her body, encasing her. It was way too big, but that didn't matter. Natasha took her tea and sat on the bed, reading the file on Banner. Calcutta. Strange place for a man who's supposed to be avoiding stress.


So how'd I do with the description of the fight scene? Pretty badass, right? Hehe. Anyway, I love you guys so much, and if you ever need anyone to fangirl to because your friends don't get it, PM me. I'm here. Also, go check out JoMiSm's and hermione-amelia-rose1479's profiles and read their stories! They are both super duper ubber awesome! Also, Emme, if you read this and don't review, I will know where to find you. Reviews are wonderful, you should write one.

Thanks,

~ Rush

Go look. Now.

.

.

.

.

.

NOW!