Natasha placed back and forth in her cell. They should be back by now. She wished she'd sent Rhodey's team with them or insisted they stop and pick up Thor. Steve and Tony working together after all this time probably could be a disaster. If there were an army of, well, her, they could be in real trouble. She was fully aware of what her body was capable of and the guys were retired.
She hated staying behind, but you couldn't trust her own memories. The Red Room had manipulated them before. Maybe every memory was a fabrication. Maybe the real Natasha Romanoff was a prisoner, or worse yet, had changed sides again or maybe even never changed sides at all. Maybe she surrendered to Clint because of some kind of mental programming she wasn't even aware she'd been given. Would she even know if she was a clone?
Happy checked in often and gave her updates on Sophie, but she didn't asked about the mission. If she wasn't who she thought she was, the less she knew, the safer everyone would be. Natasha just needed to be patient and wait for the answers. She had to trust that Steve and Tony would be able to handle the threat, even if the threat turned out to be from her.
Her cell had a glass wall, so she watched as Tony led another woman with her face into the room. She was in handcuffs, but she wasn't resisting. The two women made eye contact as Tony put the other "her" into the cell next door. Her eyes were so intent on following her doppelganger, she didn't notice Steve entering the code to her room until he was inside.
"Hey," he said, coming close enough to hug her.
Natasha stiffened at his touch. She didn't want the other woman to read her emotions. "Please don't," she whispered.
He took a step back. If he was hurt by her actions, he didn't let it show. "We found the lab. Tony called in a clean up crew to pack everything up and bring it here. She was the only copy we brought back."
"Is she a copy?"
Steve looked down. "Verdict isn't in yet, but I refuse to believe you aren't you. She did save me from another clone, and she knew us. Her last memory was just after the battle in New York, but I'll let her tell you the story. You need to compare notes."
"We need to be left in the dark until you have more answers. Think tactics, Steve. The less either of us know, the better."
"That's what she said. Tony and I disagree. He wants to reconfigure BARF to get inside your memories. If he can connect you at the same time, he thinks he can figure out who really experienced them and who didn't."
"Okay, I guess I can see the logic in that, but everything else you find out needs to be kept from either of us. Where's the other one? The one she saved you from?" When Steve didn't answer, she knew. "Dead? I hope she wasn't the original."
"She spoke in Russian and nearly killed me. Pretty sure she was an early copy. Some turned to dust."
"How many? No, don't answer that. I shouldn't have asked."
"We'll figure this out, Nat, then we're going to have that dinner."
"Don't make promises you can't keep, soldier."
"I have no intention of breaking this one. We've waited too long already."
"If I'm the copy-"
"You're still the one I fell for, the one who has been by my side for years. I don't care about the results."
"Well, you better start caring, because if I am not Natasha Romanoff, someone is going to have to do the right thing."
"Right thing? What exactly are you implying?"
"I'll have to die, Steve. It's too risky to keep the clone alive. If it's me-"
"No, absolutely not an option."
"It's the only option."
"Is that how you feel about Sophie? We know she's a clone. Are you proposing we kill her, too?"
"Of course not. She's a child. Raise her to be better. Give her the childhood she deserves and teach her right from wrong. She doesn't have the memories we have. You can help me by saving her."
"Nat, you are not a threat, and I'd be surprised if the woman we brought back is a threat either. I'm going to prove it then we'll figure out the rest of this. As for Sophie, we are raising her together. She needs both of us, and I need you."
Steve leaned in and kissed her, but she didn't kiss him back. She couldn't, not with this hanging over their heads. "You should go. Help Tony set up the machine. Figure this out, and trust his judgement. You're compromised. He needs to be in charge of this mission."
Steve stepped back. This time she knew she'd hurt him, but it didn't matter. It was better this way. He couldn't let whatever had been beginning between them get in the way. He had to do the right thing, and looking through the glass at the other her, Natasha felt pretty sure of what was right. One of them shouldn't be alive.
Her doppelganger walked over to the intercom. Tony must have given her access. She was going to have to have a heart-to-heart with him later. "We should probably talk," the other woman said.
"Or not," Natasha retorted. "One of us is an imposter."
"I agree, and I don't trust them to figure it out. Tony thinks he's smarter than he is and it makes him cocky. I barely know Rogers, but you obviously have him wrapped around your finger. How'd that happen? Assignment from Fury?"
"No, not an assignment."
"Compromised again. We're making a habit of this. First with Barton, now Rogers. I agree. We are a security risk, but exchanging information between ourselves is different. They aren't telling me everything, and I doubt you know as much as you should, probably by choice. Look, we can start with what we know for sure and work our way up to the big things. I know about Thanos."
"They shouldn't have told you anything."
"I asked about Barton. I didn't believe them or give them much choice in telling me more. I needed someone I trust, but that wasn't an option. If he's on his own, that partially answers my question, but I need to hear it from you."
"They're gone," Natasha said. "All of them-Laura, Cooper, Lila, even Nathaniel. You don't have to worry about mentioning the family. Clint told the team a few years ago before Nathaniel was born."
"Nathaniel? After us? God, this is awful. Clint shouldn't be on his own. Why aren't you out there looking for him?" Natasha didn't answer, so her doppelganger answered for her. "Because of Rogers. You couldn't leave him, even for Barton."
"It's not just Steve. I had responsibilities. There's no Shield, at least not in the form is was before. Fury's gone. The other Avengers are a mess. Somebody had to take charge. I have an assignment from the president to look out for the orphans, too. My plate is a little full, but don't you dare accuse me of not trying to find Clint. I have my best man on it."
"You went completely public. We're different. I would never do what you've done."
"Or, you'd do exactly what I did if you'd live the life I have for the last eight years," Natasha said, feeling instantly guilty as soon as she saw the familiar mask go up on her doppelganger's face.
For all intents and purposes, this woman was her eight years ago, and there was a very real possibility she was the one who belonged with the time. Natasha wasn't sure which of them was the fraud, and she felt the almost a survivor's guilt. She also so for the first time just how much she had changed. She wasn't who she was when they'd faced the Chitari, and she wasn't sure how much of the change came from being an Avenger and how much came from being Steve's partner. All she knew for sure was that the Red Room has managed to destroy her life again, and they needed to pay.
The other her turned her back to Natasha and started walking towards the bed. "Wait, let me see the scar," Natasha said. "The fight with James happened before New York."
"So, you found out his name," she said, raising her shirt. "Did you capture him or kill him for what he did to the senator? Let's see yours."
"It was complicated. He wasn't really an assassin. He was brainwashed," Natasha said, examining both scars. "Identical. They really paid attention to the details."
"Details were always their specialty. I hate them. I've worked so hard to be better then this happens. Eight years in that pod," her doppelganger said, "if I'm even me."
"What if neither of us is the real Natasha? Steve said there was another and more that were victims of Thanos's snap. For all we know, the real Natasha still works for the KGB or she could be dead. One thing is for sure, we could be a danger to the team."
Her doppelganger looked away. "The perfect weapons," she whispered, "activated only when they're ready to use us. You know what has to happen? Will they do it?"
"I don't know," Natasha said honestly, "but if they won't, we'll have to do it ourselves. If you're the clone, I will kill you."
"I'll do the same, and if we're both clones, we still have to die. Your boyfriend isn't going to like it."
Natasha didn't bother responding. Steve and Sophie would be devastated. She wasn't ready to tell the other woman about her little girl. Would she see things the way Natasha saw them and help Steve raise Sophie or would she believe Sophie had no place in this world either? Natasha would have to do some soul searching and try and get in her own head so many years ago to find the answer. She hoped she liked what she saw.
Steve watched Tony work on BARF. With Sophie at school and Julia handling the support groups, there wasn't much else he could do. Natasha didn't want him around. He understood her confusion, but it wasn't easy to watch her close the door they'd just cracked open. He loved her. If he wasn't sure before, he knew it now. He didn't have any doubts about which Natasha belonged by his side either, and he wasn't going to let her throw them away no matter what they learned.
"I asked Okoye to send some things from Shuri's lab. If she was able to deprogram Barnes with her tech, we should be able to check for any trigger words in the Widows," Tony said. "Bruce is still indisposed. I don't know what he's up to, but he agreed to look over our data. Between the two of us, we'll figure this out."
"Nat wants us to kill whichever one of them is the clone," Steve said, trying to keep his voice even.
"I'm sure she does, but it seems a little extreme, doesn't it? You talked to the new one on the plane. She's Red when we first met her, and the one we've had with us has done a lot of good things. If we can save them both, we should."
Steve smiled a half smile. "Glad we're on the same page."
"I did say if," Tony said, "if we can't be sure they're on our side then Red's not completely wrong, but I'm not ready to give up. Two Reds could complicate your life. I don't see them being willing to share even though it does put an interesting picture in my head."
Steve rolled his eyes. "Good to see some things never change. I love Nat, the one we've known for years. I just need to help her see her value if she isn't who she thought she was."
"50/50 shot she's not, so you could be in for trouble."
"Believe me, I know. How long before we can get in their heads and figure this out?"
"Tomorrow, when Shuri's equipment gets here and Rhodey gets back with the items from the lab. Now, go make yourself useful somewhere else, so I can figure this out, and try not to worry. She loves you, too. It's been obvious for a long time. I was surprised when she went for Banner. I was a little bit worried she'd break his heart because of you."
"It was her heart that got broken. She may act tough, but she feels things very deeply. And, right now, she's broken."
Steve and Sophie ate alone that night, and Sophie wasn't a happy camper. "I thought Widow was on a trip with you. Why isn't she back?"
Steve took a bite of his chicken to give him an excuse not to answer immediately. He hated lying, but telling the little girl exactly where Natasha was and why wasn't an option. "Did I lose another mommy, Captain? Is she dead?"
"What? No, she's fine. She misses you, but she can't come back to you just yet. Everything is going to be fine, Sophie," he said, wiping away tears from her eyes and whispering a silent prayer that he wouldn't have to eat his words.
"Widow's a good mommy. I miss her," she said as she climbed into his lap. "You're good at being a daddy, too."
Steve swallowed. "It's easy with such a great little girl showing us what to do."
"Can I call you Daddy now? Would that make my old daddy mad?"
"I think it would be okay with your old daddy, and it would make me very happy."
"Can I call Widow Mommy?"
"Yeah, I think she'd like that. You're our top priority, Sophie. I don't want you to think Wid-, your mom, left because she wanted to be away from you. She loves you very much."
"I love her, too."
Steve needed to get Natasha to see Sophie as soon as possible. If anyone could convince her of her worth it was their little girl. Holding her close, he had a feeling everything would work itself out. It had to for Sophie's sake. They were a family, and he didn't care if the Red Room created them or not. He wasn't letting go.
