The mission was simple: break in, stop the bad guys, kick some ass and then move out. The building itself was nothing they haven't seen before. Simple lab in the middle of a big city, noting wrong on the outside. The name written above the entrance wasn't even on their to-watch list of potentially dangerous private companies. But SHIELD had gotten wind that they manufactured chemicals based on alien DNA. How they got the DNA in the first place? Beats her. But then again, Chitauri blood, remnants and artifacts had been lying all over New York after the battle in 2012. So it was expected that the authorities didn't cover up everything. Like that Chitauri helmet that SHIELD found in a firehouse thanks to Coulson's team (yes, Natasha couldn't believe her ears when she heard he was alive and she could even less believe her eyes when she saw him in person).
Strike Team Delta was inside the building within a minute. Rumlow swept the lower and underground levels while Steve and Natasha were sent to the top floor. Everything was going according to plan and they separated, each heading into the opposite side of the corridor when they reached the top floor. They could hear the other SHIELD agents fighting below. Gun fire erupted and Natasha cursed: with all the chemicals around them, it was a very bad idea. She made a mental note to discover who was the idiot that fired and give that person a lesson on why sparks and chemicals were not a good survival mix. Preferably with some hits and a lot of pain.
They were supposed to figure out if there really was an alien DNA, grab everything related to it and then head out before the cleaning team came and brought everyone in and sealed the lab. Steve was the one who found the alien DNA and the chemicals made from it. Natasha acknowledged his words on the comms then proceeded to check one last room before going to help Steve out.
She found two scientists in there, quickly shuffling vials in suitcases. The first one came to her with a gun that she managed to knock out of his hand before he could shoot. A slight electro shock from her Widow Bites and the scientist crumpled to the floor. The second one tried to hit her with one of the suitcases and she ducked but some of the vials fell out because it wasn't closed. While she knocked him out too, the vials broke on the floor and gas started to leak in the room like the promise of Death.
Natasha immediately hit the red button on the side of the door, sealing the room shut while an alarm rang in the entire building and lights started flashing red. Soon after Natasha started coughing. She looked around the room for any extra mask or suit but found nothing and even the scientists hadn't any on them (which she found stupid by the way but they had probably been in a rush). Her vision became blurred and she had to hold onto a table to stay on her feet since the world decided to suddenly sway.
She vaguely heard someone bang on the transparent door but the sound was muffled. She turned her head towards the sound and saw Steve, yelling at her to open the damn door. She shook her head and coughed more before slowly dragging her feet and walking towards him while leaning on the furniture. "I can't open it Steve" more coughing but this time there was blood on her hand "It has to be contained."
Steve kept on banging even when she fell to the floor. She laid there, her eyes slowly closing and didn't even notice Steve leaving. She didn't notice the door being suddenly pushed open and the gas contained. She didn't feel Steve's arms around her. She didn't hear his voice. She didn't feel him lift her up and begin running. She didn't feel the jet leaving and she didn't feel it land again. She didn't feel hands pressed on her body, especially around her neck probably checking her pulse. She didn't feel her eyelids being lifted nor did she see the light shone in them.
She only woke up a few hours later, a breathing mask on her face that scared the shit out of her. Gentle hands immediately grabbed her and lowered her on the hospital bed from which she had risen. Steve was there and she guessed from his tired features that he had stay with her the entire time, worrying sick. She smiled and squeezed his hand.
"Thank you," her eyes said.
