Natasha's jaw ticked for the umpteenth time, green eyes glaring a hole in the suit laying before her that she hadn't set eyes on in a very long time.
When the Avengers disbanded for good and went their separate ways- all except Stark who somehow managed to drop money in their bank accounts and leave toys on their doorsteps even as they were on the move- Natasha called in a favor from a friend to get her all new papers for another identity. She bought brown contacts to disguise her vibrant greens, bought a black wig to hide her normally red locks that everyone now associated her with, and told anyone and everyone she met that her name was Talia Wright.
Thanks to Stark's generous cash deposits, Natasha easily bought a car that wouldn't draw too much attention. She spent months in the wind, stopping in every other state to spend a week in a decent hotel before moving on once again. She knew she couldn't keep it up forever- she didn't want to- but she didn't have a plan either. She had always thought that her life was with SHIELD but after finding out that HYDRA was deeply rooted within and many agents were not who they said they were, she couldn't find it in herself to belong to such an agency again even after it was rumored that there was a new director who was working from the shadows.
As the days passed, and Natasha watched couples happily mill around her wherever it was that she stopped for the week, she found herself thinking more and more about her supposed soulmate's words along the arch of her right foot; They'll wake up soon. She had thought that after everything she'd been through- what with the Red Room and their conditioning- that she wouldn't care to meet him or her but more often than not, she found her mind straying to all the possibilities. And just when she actually fancied the idea of settling down somewhere to try her hand at being normal, Phil Coulson swept into her life.
The second Natasha had laid eyes on Phil, she punched him clear across the face and then slapped him when he mumbled something about expecting worse. So worse she gave him by gripping his wrist, twisting his arm just so until she was a tug away from dislocating it, and close-lined him so he fell flat on his back. She was clearly vibrating with rage as he apologized from the floor, taking a handkerchief from the inner pocket of his suit jacket to dab at his busted nose as Natasha silently and angrily cried. She listened to his story after he climbed to his feet only to take a seat on the chair near the corner of her room, her anger being split between both Fury and Coulson now, and then tensed when he asked her for one last favor.
Apparently, Coulson had a whole new team to work with so no one else knew he was alive. Fury gave him everything he needed and then when SHIELD fell, one of his best agents turned out to be HYDRA and completely psycho, and another of his agents was being stalked by her even more psychopathic father who called himself Cal. And now acting as Director of the new and improved SHIELD, Coulson wanted Cal taken out and he needed the Black Widow to do it. Even after calming down and explaining that she was out and not doing mission work anymore, Coulson had still managed to persuade her to do this last mission for him because Cal's daughter- Skye- was someone he wanted to protect with every fiber of his being and he himself was no match for Cal.
She had seen the emotion in his eyes- even heard it in his voice- when he talked about Skye, and Natasha soon found herself agreeing. After all, Phil had once taken her under his wing so she knew the bond between Coulson and Skye fairly well. He'd given her a folder of leads that Skye had collected, the leads pinpointing his location in New Orleans as he searched for recruits for whatever plan his crazed mind had plotted.
So that's how Natasha found herself staring at her SHIELD issued catsuit- the charge in her Widow's Bite never having diminished thanks to Stark's technology. Figuring that enough time had passed, Natasha makes quick work of stripping from her silk robe and slipping the suit on. And even though she personally made the decision to give all of this up, she can't help the smile at the rush of power she feels when zipping up and listening to the hum of the Bites at her wrists. Her boots get slid on next, guns are holstered to her thighs, and then she's staring at her reflection in the mirror as she lets her red curls cascade down her back and over her shoulders.
Tonight, she would not be Talia Wright.
Tonight.. she was going to prowl the French Quarter as the Black Widow for one last time.
xXx
Prowling the French Quarter in a SHIELD issued uniform was not as easy as Natasha had hoped. She had to keep to the shadows and alleys, sometimes having to jump from rooftop to rooftop to go unseen. She spent hours on the rooftops and balconies, eyes combing the crowded streets for Cal but he was nowhere to be seen.
By three in the morning and still no target in sight, Natasha decided to radio in and call it a night. She waited until she got the affirmative to leave her post, she then making her way down a fire escape in a darkened alley. Being who she was and what she was conditioned to be turned into, Natasha never doubted entering a darkened alley late at night all on her lonesome. Nor did she bat an eye when the usual dirt-bag or dirt-bags (as in this scenario) tried to box her in and have their way with whoever they managed to catch.
Three men- about mid 20s- entered the alley in front of Natasha, all swaggering towards her and chuckling as she keeps her steps calm and slow.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" one asks, elbowing his companions and laughing as if what he just said was funny. "It's awfully dangerous- this time of morning- for a woman such as yourself to be all on her lonesome."
"Especially one with such a tight little body," another one mentions.
Natasha scoffs at his words, halting her steps. With a roll of her eyes and deciding to save her breath against these idiots, she turns on the balls of her feet only to find four more men at her back at least twenty feet away. Tensing and narrowing her eyes, Natasha's hands twitch as they hover over her weapons. She tries to think how it was these men came up behind her without her hearing but quickly puts that thought out of her head as she sighs. "You guys really don't wanna do this. You're only going to find yourself waking up in the hospital handcuffed to your beds."
"D'you hear that, Joey? Little Red isn't scared 'nough."
The men all chuckle again and Natasha sneers at them. One moment she's calculating the risks of firing her gun where she knows people are milling about just one street over, and the next there's a hard warm body pressed at her back and someone breathing in her ear. "Come on, Little Lady, lets hear you scream."
All rational thoughts fly out the window as a sudden rage takes over her, Natasha's head snapping back on instinct and relishing the sound of the sickening crunch! that tells her she's broken his nose. She whirls around to face the man who dared touch her, guns suddenly gripped tight in hand as she takes aim. The man's groaning and grumbling, one hand over his nose as blood gushes down his chin and the front of his shirt. Natasha mentally smirks at the sight, and then when the man lowers his hand, her jaw clenches in surprise and possibly a little bit of fear. When coming to New Orleans, she knew what to expect with Cal. But with these unknowns, she hadn't counted on or even thought about blood red eyes, veins visibly slithering just under the surface of beneath said eyes, and fangs!
The guy hisses his displeasure and then Natasha's firing her guns left and right.
xXx
Elijah had merely wanted a moment of silence and some fresh air, the people at the mansion down in the French Quarter still going strong. He had only been on the balcony for a couple of minutes when the first gunshot rang out followed by shot after shot. He could understand and tolerate one or two shots but that many in row only meant trouble. And since the different factions of the supernatural had finally come to understandable peace between one another, he was not too keen on that peace being taken away.
Jumping atop the roof and running in the direction of the ruckus as fast as he could, Elijah comes to a stop to watch as a group of vampires attack one woman. While it was normal for the vampires of the Quarter to feed on tourists, it wasn't normal for such a large group to attack one woman nor was it normal that one woman managed to hold her own against so many vampires. The redheaded woman dodges and delivers blows of her own but the vampires are making it hard for her as they use their speed to their advantage. But somehow, the redhead manages to calculate some of their moves and puts a bullet in their head, she never wavering as she drops a few bodies.
The woman is scared but not as scared as she should be, and Elijah is instantly intrigued- so much so that he decides to lend a helping hand and drop from the rooftop. His hands instantly find themselves in the chest cavity of two vampires for a second before he rips out their hearts and tosses them over his shoulder. One idiotic vampire then turns his attention on Elijah- Elijah simply rolling his eyes before gripping the young one by his neck and tossing him clear over the woman's head with a snapped neck. After that, the few standing vampires make a quick retreat which leaves the redhead whirling on Elijah, panting heavily and one gun raised.
Elijah quirks an eyebrow, pulling free a handkerchief from his outer chest pocket and wipes the blood from his hands, completely ignoring her weapon. "They'll wake up soon. You won't want to be here when they do," he says, gesturing to the supposedly dead creatures littering the alley.
The woman's slight trembling hand stills and her breath hitches. If it had been anyone other than a vampire standing across from her right now, they wouldn't have noticed but since this is Elijah- he does. "I shot them in the head so I doubt it," she suddenly voices, her voice strong in the night before gulping. "I doubt anyone can walk away from that."
Elijah blinks once.. then twice, his gaze assessing and realizing just who this woman is. He's partially shocked to have finally found her but still, he's rather more intrigued by her. "Funny thing," he says. "-the year my mark showed up contradicts the age you look. Would you like to explain or do I have rip you apart limb by limb for trying to be someone you're not? Did my brother put you up to this for his own amusement?"
"N-no," she stammers, eyes wide and round. "I was experimented on as a girl. My aging process is very slow," Natasha finds herself admitting.
Elijah has to swallow the snarl down that was threatening to escape upon hearing this woman was experimented on, fangs elongating in his mouth before receding moments later. "May I see my words then? To know for sure," he explains when he gets himself under control.
xXx
Natasha's mentally berating herself, annoyed that she so easily told this man- this creature (she saw the veins beneath his eyes pulse once before disappearing when she said she'd been experimented on)- her past. She's a trained spy and assassin for crying out loud! Secrets are her forte as are masking her emotions and expressions but there was something about this man that made her want to tell him things.
"Well?"
Startled out of her thoughts, Natasha blinks rapidly before giving him a terse nod. "If I lower my weapon, you won't attack me?"
"If you are who you say you are then I am the last person who will ever lay a hand on you. I give you my word."
Natasha hesitates before slowly putting her gun away, gaze glued to the well dressed man before her. While she keeps her gaze on his, she bends at the waist and balances on one foot, slipping off the boot to her right foot. She flexes her bare foot, turning it just so so that the words are facing him. In the blink of an eye, he's kneeling before her and she tries not flinch- she really does- but she just can't help it. She quickly regains her balance, watching as he seemingly apologizes with his eyes before he's reaching out carefully to cradle her foot in hand. She sees the corner of his lips quirk upward, she then clearing her throat before slipping her boot back on. "You have your proof, now I want mine."
The man nods, grinning as he stands and starts to undo the cuff link near his left wrist. And sure enough, in the dim light of the alley, Natasha's words are presented to her on the man's inner wrist. She feels a sense of relief and happiness that she's found her soulmate- even if he wasn't exactly human- but when her gaze darts to his, she sees his gaze fall down to the SHIELD emblem on the right side of her chest. His grin drops and Natasha's stomach swoops in fear.
"You work for the agency that called themselves SHIELD? I wasn't aware it still existed." He takes a step back from her and it takes everything in Natasha to not take a step forward. Damn the soulmate pull!
"Officially, it doesn't," she tells him. "Unofficially, it does."
"And what is your part in all of this?" he asks, expression carefully neutral.
Gulping, Natasha's hand clench at her sides before she settles for crossing them over her chest. "I was with SHIELD for a very long time; recruited by an agent who had been sent in to kill me when I made a bad name for myself. They gave me a chance to redeem myself- even going as far as letting me join the Avengers. Despite trying to keep my distance, I made friends within SHIELD. When the agency fell and everyone's true colors showed, it was hard to accept the fact that some of those friends were the ones who wanted to rule the world in their sick twisted way of keeping everyone in line."
"The Black Widow," he suddenly voices as if he's just put two-and-two together on her identity.
"Yes," she nods. "But since all my identities have been compromised, I gave all this up," she then gestures to her suit. "A friend- one of my mentors- called in favor and I told him this was the last. After I require my target here in New Orleans, the suit gets hung back up and I'm back to being Talia Wright so I can fly under the radar."
He seems to take her explanation well, his tense frame loosening. "One last mission?"
"One last mission," she confirms.
"Very well. Then maybe you can tell me just what target it is you require so that I may help you. After all, your problems are my problems now, little spider."
Natasha's never been one to burden anyone with her missions, especially if she hadn't been assigned a partner to begin with, but the thought of sharing this with her soulmate.. well, she can't exactly deny the man what he wants. She doesn't want to. "His name is Cal- no last name. He's looking for recruitment among people in the French Quarter; possibly spewing nonsense about people holding his daughter- a girl he calls Daisy- hostage and saying that his wife was brutally murdered long ago."
"Yes, I do believe I know who it is you seek," he regrettably admits after a moment's pause. "He heard about the power my family holds and sought our help." Natasha tries her best not to frown but apparently she does- and bites her bottom lip in contemplation- because her soulmate is quick to reach up and free her lip from her teeth with his thumb in a soft caress. "But we haven't given him an answer. Something's not quite right with that man and we've only claimed peace in our home land which we haven't had in years. We don't want to risk it but Nik has promised to get back to him in a few day's time."
"You were right not to trust him; the man has some serious anger issues and powers that none of us have quite seen in action but we have seen the aftermath. It's not pretty."
"Then you must come with me back to my home so we can explain to my family what's going on. We can come up with a plan to help you require your target."
Glancing down at the offered hand, Natasha fidgets from foot to foot. When her gaze darts back up to meet his, she finds him grinning and waiting. "I've many names growing up- names that I've made for myself to hide behind- but I don't want to hide with you."
"Whatever you want.. whatever name.."
"Call me Natalia. Or we can stick with Talia for short," she grins and finally takes his offered hand.
"Natalia," he grins back, bringing up her hand to brush a kiss to her knuckles. "I'm Elijah."
xXx
Needless to say- when Elijah strolls into the Quarter Mansion with his soulmate still in her SHIELD uniform- Klaus and Marcel hadn't been too happy. At least until Elijah stood protectively in front of Natasha, and snarled at anyone and everyone that his soulmate was not to be touched or they'd suffer at his hands. Klaus had been ecstatic for his brother then but it was shortly lived because his brother and his brother's soulmate's grave expressions, and the sudden need for a family meeting.
The Mikaelson's gathered their soulmates- Klaus and Caroline, Rebekah and Marcel, Kol and Davina, Hayley and Jackson- and met in one of the back rooms where Natasha freely gave explanations about her situation with SHIELD and Cal. Klaus was livid at the fact that some man was trying to manipulate he and his family into what could easily turn into another war, and vowed Cal's head on a spike. And even though Natasha was game to get rid of the one they called Cal, she was playing by SHIELD's book and Coulson needed the man alive. So after saying as much, Elijah came up with a plan that everyone easily agreed to.
The Mikaelson's threw a masquerade extravaganza a couple days later- never doubt the combined forces of Rebekah Mikaelson and Caroline Forbes' party planning- with the only guests being being invited were werewolves, vampires, witches, and the SHIELD team Coulson had hanging back in case Natasha needed help. When Coulson had frowned and the females on the team complained about not packing dresses for such an occasion, Natasha had merely grinned and placed a call- dresses, suits, shoes, and masks being delivered hours later. She had then told them briefly about the plan, telling the team to keep their weapons hidden at all times unless she had said so. Everyone eventually agreed and all that was left was getting Cal to attend under the pretense of Klaus finally having an answer for him.
The party had been underway and it was almost anti-climatic when Cal was taken down. He had been happy to be talking to Klaus but the second his face lost all traces of happiness and the rage was slowly slinking in, Kol and Davina stepped out of the shadows chanting- neutralizing Cal before he could cause harm to anyone in the vicinity.
Coulson had been impressed when Davina then explained that everything that made Cal special was now bound and he was as harmful as the average human. With the team then leading the groggy man back to the Bus in handcuffs and zip-ties, Coulson made his way to Natasha. She was standing with one of the Mikaelson brothers, the one that had introduced himself as Elijah and chatting quite amicably. She had been dressed all in white, the dress being very form fitting and short with pair of white wings strapped to her back and an eye mask lined in silver on a stick that she held up to cover her eyes. And just as Coulson had made it a few feet in front of her, a little girl that appeared to be five years of age barreled into the redhead's legs and clung with a squeal.
"Auntie Talia! Daddy said when I get older, you can teach me to fight so the icky boys won't come near me."
Natasha had laughed- laughed!- and readjusted the black devil horns adorning the girl's head. "If that's what you want then that's what we shall do."
The little girl squeals again but she doesn't release her hold on Natasha. Clearing his throat, Natasha looks up only to find Coulson quirking an eyebrow at her in interest. "Auntie Talia?"
"She's Klaus' daughter," Natasha shrugs. "And Elijah's niece therefore making her my niece." Coulson holds Natasha's gaze for a moment before her words click into place, his gaze quickly darting to Elijah at her side. "Coulson," she smirks. "I'd like you to officially meet Elijah Mikaelson; my soulmate."
"O-oh," Coulson stammers and Elijah grins in amusement. The men shake hands in greeting before Coulson's attention is once again on Natasha. "Well, I was going to see if you were serious about quitting SHIELD but I now see that you are. You have family now- a real family."
"I do," she smiles in return, melting into Elijah's side as he wraps an arm around her lower waist. "I've finally found my place, Phil, and I think it's time I concentrate on my own happiness for once."
"Of course," Coulson agrees. "I wish you all the best."
"Thank you."
After Coulson makes sure both Natasha and Elijah know that SHIELD has their back if ever needed, he excuses himself from the duo under the pretense of getting back to the Bus. Though before he gets too far away, he spares one last glance at the best agent he's ever had the pleasure of mentoring. Elijah asks her something, stepping aside and then offers her his hand in an elegant bow. And laughing, Natasha passes her mask to the little girl at her side before accepting Elijah's hand to let him lead her out to the dance floor with one of the most genuine smiles he's ever seen her display.
Up next, it's a trio of Sheriff Stilinki/Claudia Stilinski/Tony Stark. And if you watch Teen Wolf, then you know that one of these is deceased :( so prepare for a very somber-ish chapter.
