A/N: Hi there! Sorry it took me so long to publish but I had a lot of ideas and you can't imagine how hard it was to include them all. This chapter is the next-to-last one and soon I'll be wrapping the whole story up. As for what comes now - buckle your seatbelts 'cause it's gonna be intense.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. All rights to Marvel Cinematic Universe, etc.

Chapter 16

PROMISES I CAN'T KEEP

"War does not determine who is right. Only who is left." - Bertrand Russell

1

The Avengers, along with Pepper Potts, sat on the patio of Tony Stark's mansion overlooking one of many scenic bays in Malibu, California. It was already after dark so the temperature was pleasantly warm and they could finally relax, away from the scorching sun.

The team was enjoying their well-earned post-assignment break (apart from Thor as the god of thunder was once again in pursuit of his mischievous brother Loki who had apparently broken out of the prison), having finally captured Maksim Aristow, the HYDRA member who had slipped through their fingers way back in Venice. Natasha interrogated him personally and well the enemy agent got messed up pretty badly in the process but it was a calculated risk as she put it.

One way or another they packed their stuff and left for the sunny western coast. After all, what's better than a lazure sea, sunny beach and drinks with tiny, colourful umbrellas?

"... and then he realized I was in the same room the whole time!" Natasha concluded the story, making everyone laugh. Steve turned as red as a beetroot, an utterly mortified expression on his face.

"Hilarious, Nat. Couldn't help yourself, could you?" He asked, his pride visibly hurt.

The spy smirked at the blonde soldier sitting next to her, giving him a friendly nudge to the ribs. She was addicted to teasing him, that stuff would never get old.

"You know me all too well, Steve." The redhead batted her eyelashes and kissed him on the lips. "On the plus side, you look adorable when you blush. I like to remind myself of that from time to time."

Their display of affection was greeted with a mixture of reactions - Pepper and Bruce smiled widely while Tony and Clint made faces and feigned puking on the floor.

"Anyway-" Natasha continued, sending a lethal glare towards Barton and his partner in crime. "We have something important to announce. Apparently you're supposed to tell your family first so here goes."

The billionaire stopped rolling on the ground and furrowed his brows. "Pardon me, did she call us her 'family'? I thought-"

"Tony." Pepper interrupted him, pinching the bridge of her nose, her voice serious. "Shut up."

The rest of the team let out a quiet chuckle, seeing how Tony buckled under her words.

"So, what do you want to tell us?" Bruce asked casually even if he already had his own suspicions.

Steve opened his mouth to answer but a sudden cold flash halted him in his place. He envisioned this moment for so many years but only really hoped it would happen during the past few weeks. Now they were going to tell everyone about it. It was nowhere near easy as he anticipated.

Natasha sensed the uneasiness radiating off him almost right away so she took and squeezed his hand gently. Steve glanced at her with gratefulness, trying to calm down a bit. Who would've guessed she'd be so calm and collected about the whole thing?

Not that she didn't cry tears of joy when Steve proposed to her, she melted down when he did with that huge dorky smile of his. But for the majority of her life, Natasha didn't even think what would happen if she stopped fighting, be it in the service of the Red Room or S.H.I.E.L.D.

The chain of events which has led her up to this moment was something she still had difficulties believing in. And so she extended her left hand, exposing a silver ring on her finger. It had a floral ornament in the shape of a rose and was adorned with a small black gem.

She tried not to think how much money Steve had to put aside to afford it. Contrary to popular opinion they weren't paid much, especially since the new S.H.I.E.L.D. was no longer funded by the government.

Neither did they own a multi-million tech company like Pepper and Tony, so their salary was a mediocre one. To ordinary people it would've been one of the biggest surprises, no doubt.

The other Avengers stared at the ring for a fraction of a second before the room exploded with loud cheering and words of congratulations. Steve couldn't help but smile and so did the beautiful redhead by his side. Yeah, he was the luckiest man in the world.

He couldn't have known it wasn't meant to last.

2

Yesterday

Steve closed the door quietly behind him, and made his way to the kitchen at the far end of the corridor.

They arrived in Malibu the other day and though jet lag had already stopped bothering them, the soldier couldn't sleep, no matter how hard he tried. There was a lot going on in their lives recently, especially his and Nat's, and Steve realized the time had come to ask the big question. For that he had to find the right moment and it seemed none had come so far.

He walked into the kitchen which, like any other room in Tony's mansion, had giant panoramic windows allowing one to see the seashore in all of its beauty.

Light reflexes danced on the counter as he tapped his fingers in frustration. This whole situation was really starting to eat away at him, so much in fact, that Steve didn't even register when he accidentally knocked the glass of water onto the floor.

"God, dammit." He mumbled under his nose, leaning down to pick the shards. Despite his enhanced hearing, he didn't hear Natasha coming into the kitchen.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

Steve stood up with a smirk, only to meet a playful albeit a bit drowsy look the redhead was giving him. The noise must have interrupted her afternoon nap, the one he tried to enjoy as well but failed to.

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you up?"

"It was lonely there without you, anyway." Natasha shrugged as she walked to him, putting her hand on his cheek. "Are you okay? You look stressed out."

Steve took her hand and kissed it. "I have a lot to think about, Nat. That's all."

"Wanna talk about it?" She asked, putting the kettle on. The redhead could be in the middle of the dessert but there was nothing better than hot tea. She turned to face the soldier who shook his head.

"Not really."

"Well, maybe you just need a break? We could go out, have fun…"

Steve sighed at the perspective of yet another all-night rave. Those were Tony's specialty, not his. Besides, the music at clubs was simply awful. "I'd rather spend some time with you."

"Okey-dokey, where are you taking me then?" She asked, observing his stern expression over the rim of her teamug. Steve scratched his head, reaching into his pocket.

"Pepper told me of this one place, thirty miles up north from here. It's private and everything." He showed her the location on the phone. "We could grab a bottle of wine and you know. Admire the view."

"I keep forgetting you're such a romantic. I like where this is going." Natasha flashed him a toothy smile, but seeing how serious he still was, the redhead got on the tips of her toes and kissed his cheek. "I'll get the wine. Stark must have a few bottles of Sauvignon Blanc left and I'll be damned if I don't drink it all."

She turned on her heels and left for the wine cellar, leaving the picnic preparations to Steve. The soldier rummaged through the fridge. If they were going out for a longer time they'd be hungry so BLTs were the perfect answer. Twenty might've seemed too much for only two people but Steve's serum-enhanced metabolism would beg to differ. Also, the redhead had quite an appetite of her own.

Having finished, he grabbed a pair of wine glasses along with a warm fluffy blanket to sit on. He put everything into a picnic basket and with that they were ready to roll.

Ten minutes later the duo met in the garage, both in casual clothes. Natasha's outfit consisted of black ripped shorts, red tank top and sneakers while Steve wore a tight white t-shirt, a leather jacket and green pants along with combat boots. His dog tags, the spy tended to play with a lot when they cuddled, where in place around his neck.

When they got to the highway, Natasha flipped through radio channels, putting her feet on the dash. In the past Steve would've asked her to take them off but when she began humming the melody of "Bad Liar" by Imagine Dragons, he suddenly became aware of how beautiful her voice was. It had never occurred to him before but the way she sang made his heart skip a beat or two.

He pulled up at the bottom of a steep hill, past an old oak tree. "And that's the place."

Natasha grinned at him and jumped out of the car, grabbing the picnic basket. Such an amount of energy was definitely out of ordinary for her but Steve knew she tried to raise his spirits and he appreciated that.

Maybe it wasn't so bad he took the ring along with him.

"First one at the top, wins!"

The soldier chuckled and quickly caught up with the redhead. She squealed in surprise when he picked her off her feet, bridal style, and carried to the top of the cliff.

"Damn. This does look nice." She found herself saying when Steve put her on the ground.

They had a magnificent view from the mansion but this one was breathtaking: they stood high above a rocky beach, watching the waves of the Pacific Ocean crash and swirl over and over again. Late afternoon sun burned like a falling meteorite, bathing the clouds and water in a palette of colours.

Steve spread the blanket on the ground. They ate, drank, laughed and flirted until the soldier came to a realization: a perfect moment to put his plan into motion was right there, in front of his very eyes.

"Hold still, Nat." He said, opening his sketchbook and grabbing a pencil.

"What are you- oh."

Those pages had always fascinated her. Since waking up, Steve expressed everything with such an amount of detail that it absolutely captivated her. The redhead wished she could see herself the way he did every day… priceless.

"In your own element, huh?"

The soldier's eyes went up and he glanced at her from above the sketchbook. "Yeah, pretty much. Besides, where else am I gonna get a view like this?"

Natasha felt something fluttering in her belly and it certainly wasn't the sandwich she ate. She tilted her head to the side. "Smooth answer, Rogers."

"Oh, you pick up a thing or two when working with a spy."

She felt her lips going up. "How's it going?"

"Perfect. But it's gonna be better if you'd stop fidgeting so much."

"I'm not fidgeting, I'm just…"

"... dying to see this piece of art? Yeah, I would too."

"... curious. I was gonna say: curious." The spy huffed.

After fifteen long minutes which seemed like an eternity to the spy, Steve finally put his pencils away.

"Done!"

The redhead scooted over to his side to see the outcome. It was nothing like she had imagined.

The drawing depicted Natasha sitting atop of the cliff with eyes fixed on something distant, unreachable. She wore the same clothes and sported the same tangled mess of red hair as her living counterpart. Her feet dangled over the edge, a happy smile gracing her partially opened lips. Steve even captured that small freckle on the side of her nose.

"Do you like it?" He asked, eager to hear her opinion. "I know the shading could've been a bit better but-"

He stopped babbling when he saw the spy shaking her head.

"I still can't believe this is how you see me, Steve."

"You know I do."

Natasha nodded in response, not really expecting any other answer. Her brows furrowed when she spotted a detail which must've slipped her attention in the first place. She pointed at it.

"What's up with the ring? I don't wear one."

The soldier grinned from ear to ear. "Not yet, you're not."

What followed next, happened on impulse without any conscious control from the soldier. Steve did it, as if he knew all along their engagement would take place over a sandwich and a bottle of wine. Out of thin air, he conjured a small, black box which opened with a quiet click.

"Natalia Alianovna Romanova. Will you marry me?" The soldier asked quietly, the humming of the sea fading away. The redhead eyes widened in shock, her mouth forming a perfect 'o'.

For the briefest of moments, Steve felt an immeasurable amount of fear. He closed his eyes, awaiting the verdict and when he opened them, her beautiful lips uttered a single word he so hoped to hear.

Yes.

Natasha tried hard to play it cool but couldn't help her throat closing up. Tears welled up, leaking down her cheeks and completely ruining her makeup. For a cold-blooded ex-assassin she showed her emotions rather openly.

Still she didn't care because Steve was doing some kind of an awkward victory dance. It cracked her up, tension dissipating as rapidly as it appeared.

"You're such a dork, Steve."

The soldier gave Natasha a crooked smile and scooped her up in one lightning-fast movement. The redhead wanted to say something but he kissed her fiercely. Apparently a mixture of tears and mascara didn't deter him and she was yet again left wondering at which point he became such a pro in kissing.

When they finally parted, breaths uneasy and quickened, Steve leaned down to put his fiancée on the blanket. The spy had other plans so she grabbed his shirt pulling them both onto the ground.

He ended up on top of her, his face in a rather strategic place on her chest, not that he was complaining. The redhead's hand snaked around his waist as the other one gripped the nape of his neck. An electric current went down his spine.

"I'm not letting you go now." She whispered into his ear and the rest was history.

Steve's jacket and t-shirt ended up on the grass soon after, even though he couldn't remember taking them off. Natasha didn't mind one bit, she focused on admiring the perfect view in front of her.

She ran her fingers across his bare chest and stomach, hard fibers of muscle relaxing under her touch. For a guy who was well over a hundred years old, Steve would still put any man to shame without major problems. The fact he was her and only her, felt pretty intoxicating too.

While she focused on his chiseled frame, the soldier didn't waste time himself. The tank top disappeared in strange circumstances and to her surprise, Natasha couldn't recall stripping it offl. She was lost in his blue eyes and the look he was giving her. The only logical solution was to let go.

Steve trailed a path of hot, wet kisses from her ear, along her jawline and further down to her cleavage, where his face rested a couple of minutes earlier. Natasha squirmed underneath him as she felt the familiar warmth in her belly rising.

Quiet moans escaped her mouth when he bit her neck gently. Then Steve literally ripped the shorts off her, causing her to gasp, both in surprise and excitement. Now, she'd rather jump out of the window than say it out loud but she was enjoying those displays of possessive behavior more and more with each passing moment. Steve must've had some kind of a hidden talent, judging by how he managed so far…

As if on cue, he unhooked the front clasp of her bra with his teeth, while keeping an eye contact the entire time. Natasha buried her hand in his blonde tousled hair, holding tight.

Steve began to caress her breasts and whenever he used his tongue, she felt goosebumps forming all over her body. He slipped the first finger inside and she had to bite her lip in order not to scream.

When she thought she'd go crazy, he grasped her hips and in one swift swoop she ended up on top of him, already locked in place. She was about to say something again but he already went for it. And by went, Natasha meant full fucking throttle. Her breathing became even more shallow and between hasty words and surges of pleasure they reached the peak together.

"Nat?" Steve asked, panting heavily after the roller-coaster finished its ride. There was no response, the redhead just nuzzled against his neck, silent. "Hello…?"

Quiet snoring made him realize that Natasha straight up dozed off on top of him, completely unbothered by the fact he was, well, still there. Steve must have really exhausted her because she slept like a rock.

He glanced at his watch and whistled. It was high time they got back, especially since his fiancée wouldn't mind a comfortable bed. So he got dressed, cleaned the mess they made and tossed the basket along with an empty bottle of wine into the trunk.

Finally he wrapped Natasha in a blanket and carefully picked her up. She had such a peaceful and happy look on her face when he took her to the car.

"This is gonna be one hell of a story." Steve thought to himself, starting the engine.

3

"Oh my God, that's wonderful, guys!" Pepper sprang to her feet when she heard the news, hugging the spy tightly. "You've got to tell me how it went! And we totally need to discuss the wedding, Natasha, I've already got so many ideas! It's gonna be fantastic, dang it, I'm hyperventilating."

Steve glanced at both women with an amused expression.

Natasha hated such events, parties where too many people tried to talk to her just got on her nerves. Generally she could live happily ever after without having a wedding at all. That's why he was taken aback when his fiancée said she'd love to arrange all of the details with Pepper.

"But you'd always say-" He tried to ask but was interrupted when Tony gave him the biggest bear hug ever. The billionaire had a surprisingly firm grip for a guy who relied on a mechanized suit in combat.

"You actually did it, you bastard!" Like his girlfriend, Tony too was ecstatic with the whole wedding thing. "And before you say anything, yes, a limousine is a must. And we're picking the suit together."

The soldier rolled his eyes but inside he was overjoyed to see how genuinely enthusiastic his friends were. It only confirmed him in his decision to propose to Natasha was right.

"Well, well, well. Not to say I didn't believe in you, but that was one hell of a feat, Cap." Barton shook the soldier's hand. "Natasha couldn't have chosen better, if you ask me."

Steve smiled at those words but the archer apparently had something else to add.

"If you break her heart, I'll put an arrow in your eye. Remember that."

Steve stared at Clint for a while, not really knowing what to say. He thought they were already past this kind of talk and they both agreed the soldier would've never hurt Natasha out of free will. But then he saw the archer cracking a wide smile.

"Nah, I'm just messing with ya! I'm all for both of you." Barton laughed and patted Steve on the soldier, seeing his tense reaction. "I'm gonna grab a bottle of champagne. We need to celebrate!"

Steve chuckled nervously, watching the archer walk away. As silly as it might have seemed, he cared about Clint's approval since the archer was pretty much Natasha's family at this point and has known her like anyone else.

Finally, Steve was approached by Bruce. He shook hands with the scientist. "I'm happy for you, Steve, you and Natasha both deserve a win. Especially after everything you've been through together."

"Thanks, Bruce. I appreciate that."

Banner nodded and leaned over as if he didn't want others to hear their conversation.

"But do me a favour and pick someone other than Tony to be your best man or we won't hear the end of it. Seriously we'd better lock him up in the Hulk containment cell until you make your decision."

Steve smirked. Yeah, it was almost certain the billionaire would freak out about being Captain America's best man. Better keep it quiet for now. "Will do."

Just as the congrats ended, Clint returned with a silver tray, handing everyone glasses of champagne.

He raised his own with a proud look on his face. "To Steve and Natasha!"

"To Steve and Natasha!" The others repeated in unison, nodding at the duo.

"He sure thinks of himself as your big brother, doesn't he?" Steve asked amusedly, putting his arm around Natasha's shoulder. The redhead chuckled.

"He'd better. And Fury's my adoptive father if we're at it. So I guess you should have asked him for my hand in the first place."

"My bad." Steve said, pulling her closer. "What are you going to do about this?"

"Absolutely nothing." She whispered back before their lips met and the surroundings drowned in loud applause. At that moment both the soldier and the spy were certain they would overcome whatever obstacle the future held in store for them.

The only thing they couldn't have known was that their time together was almost up.

4

A couple of miles away, from a vantage point in a helicopter, Irina Wasilewska observed the mansion through her binoculars. She'd never go into an unknown territory without assessment of the enemy's defenses and escape routes.

The last thing she wanted was to be bested by a bunch of freaks whom the brainless American nation called their heroes. Not to mention it was Stark's property so she expected rather heavy resistance.

For that reason, every trooper in her squad was personally selected. Irina made sure only the most skilled and ruthless individuals would take part in the upcoming fight. There was no room for mistakes. The transmissions would be jammed shortly beforehand so the Avengers wouldn't be able to call S.H.I.E.L.D.'s HQ for backup and they had heavy artillery at their disposal as well.

In conclusion, her plan was void of weak points and her taste for vengeance stronger than ever.

"Status, Commander?" Wasilewska quietly asked the tallest of the mercenaries, the one with a facemask resembling a skull. Jared Hunt used to praise this man for his combat and tactical skills, so it was only natural to choose the latter as her second-in-command. So far he did well.

"Teams alpha, beta, gamma and delta are in position, awaiting orders." Commander responded, shifting uncomfortably under her gaze. They feared her, just like the Avengers would soon learn to as well.

The rogue widow could already feel a thrill of excitement running down her spine, pleasant tingling taking over her neck and fingertips. The thought of fresh blood was like a drug to her, a sweet release from this unhealthy obsession. She intended to settle a score between her and Natalia, once and for all, and this time Romanova was not getting away.

Irina felt the corners of her mouth going up. "And the charges?"

"Armed and ready." Commander said, handing her a small detonation device.

Irina fixed her sight on the building they were about to storm. "It seems our friends are having some kind of a celebration tonight. I wonder if they're expecting any more guests?"

The mercenary barked an order into his comlink.

5

Suddenly the lights in the living room dimmed and went out, emergency red ones switching on instead.

Everyone stopped mid-sentence, confused as to what had just happened. Everyone but Tony of course, because he was the one to design the security grid. He hoped he was wrong though.

"What's going on, JARVIS?" Pepper asked with a hint of panic in her voice. There was no response.

"J, are you there? Talk to me." Tony asked again, praying it to be only a temporary malfunction. On the other hand the stuff he designed didn't tend to malfunction at all. The delayed response on the AI's part, made the whole situation even more unsettling. Something was very wrong here.

"Warning: proximity alert. Hostile projectiles inbound. Emergency lock-down initiated." The whole building began to shut off from the outside world. Thick plates of steel rose from the ground, covering the walls and windows. "Impact in T-minus fifty seconds."

Tony looked at Pepper and cursed under his breath. "JARVIS, deploy my suit, now!"

Steve exchanged grim looks with Natasha and they ran for their gear without a word. The soldier quickly grabbed his shield while the spy strapped her dual glocks and a set of knives to her belt. Clint followed suit and was now holding his combat bow, a quiver on his back. Bruce just stood there with his eyes closed, breathing deeply in order to prepare for the Hulk to come out.

"Brace for impact in 3...2...1..."

"EVERYBODY GET DOWN!" Tony yelled as his visor went down and he covered Pepper with his own body. Steve did the same with Nataha, while Clint and Bruce dropped to the floor.

The next few minutes were filled with deafening explosions, going off one by one. Steve tried counting them but lost track after a dozen or so. Something very heavy hit the shield he held above his head, sending a painful sensation through his arm.

Whoever was attacking them, certainly wasn't fucking around; had it not been for Tony's foresight they'd all be dead now. Then again, who installs anti-aircraft security measures in their house?

The bombing stopped as abruptly as it started. White dust filled the air, a web of cracks on the floor, pieces of broken glass and furniture everywhere. The steel barriers did their job though; they were dented and burst in several points but the general construction survived, protecting them from being crushed by tons of rubble.

"You alright?" Steve asked, checking Natasha for any visible injuries, but saw none. She didn't reply, instead hugging him silently. Explosions reminded her of one the worst parts of when she was forced to blow up an orphanage because the Red Room was covering its tracks.

Clint coughed trying to wave the dust away from his face. "Everyone's okay? Nat?"

They nodded collectively apart from Bruce who was on his knees, his skin turning a shade of green. In the past, he would have already transformed but because the scientist learned to control his alter-ego better over the years, he was still in his human form. They had a couple of extra minutes left.

Natasha still remembered how scared she was of Hulk when he went on a rampage on the helicarrier before the battle of New York. Being locked up in the same room would prove disastrous if not lethal.

Similar thoughts must've crossed the minds of others as well, because they all stepped away from Banner as far as possible.

"How are we gonna get out?" Pepper asked, desperately clutching Tony's arm while he whispered words of comfort into her ear. If only he didn't insist on her staying, she'd be at a business meeting in LA now, far away from any harm. He was cursing himself for putting her into such danger.

"Pep's right. We'll have a green guy on our hands soon and frankly I don't wanna be locked inside when this happens." Tony pointed towards Bruce whose groans of pain became more and more like Hulk's roars. "And I gotta get Pepper out of here."

While the other three Avengers were checking their gear and preparing for the imminent confrontation, Stark used sensors in his suit to check where the floor remained intact. Having found the right spot he used one of his laser-chips to cut a perfect circle, allowing him to enter his workshop directly beneath.

"Hello, sweetie." Tony said quietly, looking at an unusual grey-blue armour behind bulletproof glass.

Up until now he hoped he wouldn't be forced to use it but desperate times called for desperate measures. He had JARVIS activate the other suit remotely.

Soon the billionaire was standing beside Pepper, briefly explaining to her how the armour worked. She tried to argue but when she saw how serious Tony was, she kept quiet and listened carefully.

"I've been working on this for the past year, but it's not ready yet. It doesn't have any other defense systems and only basic programming." Tony said, calibrating the suit so it would fit Pepper's body. "Now, listen closely. They are jamming our long range communications so we can't contact S.H.I.E.L.D.. You must get back to New York and tell Fury we were attacked."

"I'm not sure I can-"

Tony kissed her forehead. "You can do it, Pep, I know you do. FRIDAY will help you the best she can."

"FRIDAY?"

Stark smiled faintly. "Female version of JARVIS. As I said, the programming is a bit limited but it should be enough to get you to safety. Remember, you must contact Fury so the S.H.I.E.L.D. can send backup."

Banner's roars became louder and louder. They were running out of time.

Pepper had a terrified expression on her face. "I don't want you to stay-"

"The team's here, I won't leave them."

"I'm not saying you should, maybe we could evacuate or-"

"Pepper. Pep, look at me. I'll be fine." Tony said, taking her hand into his. "I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you. That's why you need to go."

He used his second laser-chip to cut out a small hole in the wall facing the ocean.

"FRIDAY, fly low, so that the radar won't trace you." He instructed them as Pepper's suit activated, multiple blue diodes firing up here and there.

"Of course, Boss." Pepper heard a pleasant female voice before the visor went down and the HUD went online. She was surrounded by countless holograms displaying tons of information. It looked nothing like 'basic programming' to her, but then the suit began to move without her will and soon she was heading away from the ruined mansion at an incredible speed.

She left just in the nick of time because the steel walls around them started to buckle as if someone was cutting through the metal from the outside.

"What did you say about bringing the party to them?" Clint mumbled under his nose, drawing an arrow with a particularly nasty tip from his quiver. Steve glanced at Natasha who was taking cover behind his shield. They've been through worse shit, they could handle another dire situation like this.

Honestly he wasn't so sure.

When the barriers gave in, the enemy poured inside from three different directions, immediately trying to encircle the Avengers. The assailants were dressed in black, with bulletproof vests, helmets with darkened visors and machine guns. On their chests, Steve spotted a well-known symbol: red skull surrounded by a crown of tentacles.

The first thug to storm inside was greeted with an arrow to his forehead. The tip released an electric impulse on impact, effectively incapacitating both of his companions. Meanwhile, Hulk in his destruction mode, smashed a giant piece of concrete into a whole row of surprised troopers, crushing them like bugs.

Tony's repulsors worked non-stop as he blasted every hostile figure in sight, going through armor like a knife through hot butter. He released a swarm of micro-charges from his shoulder pads which found their mark flawlessly.

Steve and Natasha fought in perfect tandem, covering each other's back. The soldier's shield deflected countless bullets while the spy's glocks spat lead, one magazine after another.

All of that wasn't enough however, and as the fight progressed, the Avengers realized how hopeless it was. They might have been holding their own for the time being but there were only five of them (they really could've used Thor's abilities now) while the enemies kept coming.

It didn't matter Hulk was with them because somewhere in the middle of this mess, they noticed his roars were no longer distinguishable from the cacophony of the battle. Soon after they found the green guy on the ground, with a number of darts sticking out of his neck.

If the enemy was capable of depriving their team of two strongest members with such little effort, then Natasha didn't want to think about what else they would have to face. Steve wanted to do something but they were unable to lift the giant heap of muscle and had to hope he'd be left alone. She didn't have too much time to ponder as they were forced to retreat and find a new cover.

"What's the plan, Cap?" Barton asked, wincing as Natasha wrapped a bandage over his bleeding shoulder. A concrete shard wounded him badly but he didn't notice up until now. It was painful as hell.

"Let's just hope Pepper will reach NYC soon so Fury will mobilize the reserve forces on the western coast." Natasha mumbled tossing a grenade over their heads. Surprised screams of terror meant enemy was already on their tail.

"An offense like this one has to be well-coordinated so taking their leader out would be a great starting point. In most cases this usually works." Steve said, turning towards Stark who had just landed beside them with a loud metallic clang. "I need your eyes in the air, Tony. Look for a guy who's not with the main bulk of their forces. He'll have some kind of badge, probably on his right arm. Natasha and Clint will cover you."

Tony nodded and bolted upwards while the spy and the archer took down anyone who tried to shoot him down from the sky. At the same time, Cap threw his shield like a boomerang and knocked down a trio of mercenaries attempting to flank on them from the left.

"How's the situation?" Steve asked through the communication piece in his ear.

"I don't see anyone who matches your description, Cap. Maybe we should- wait." Tony stopped, probably assessing something with his sensors. "Alright, there's a chopper four clicks east of our position with a HYDRA symbol on its hull. If their leader's inside, I can take them out."

"Are you sure? We shouldn't split up until it's absolutely necessary."

"I think that sending a bunch of rockets at me counts as yes!" Tony replied and diverted all of the power to the thrusters, so he could escape the heat-seeking missiles which were now tracking his flight route.

"I'll try to return them to the sender, can you keep the rest of the party occupied?"

"What do you think we've been doing?" Clint scoffed angrily, sending an explosive arrow at a group of troops preparing to use a flamethrower. "Cap, we need to move soon."

Steve peeked from behind the partially demolished wall. He spotted countless bodies of HYDRA troopers lying on the ground but the fight was far from over. If they were to have even the slightest chance to survive until the reinforcements got here, they had to regroup.

As if to confirm his conclusion, a bullet whistled within inches of his ear.

6

"What the hell is he doing?" Wasilewska thought as she observed Iron Man circling around the ruins of his mansion while a half a dozen missiles followed his every move. That idiot would have already blasted them with that fancy suit of his if only he wanted to…

The realization came as soon as Stark headed directly towards them.

"Pull up! PULL THE FUCK UP!"

It was too late. Forgetting about her second-in-command, the rogue widow grabbed a parachute and leapt out. She kept her arms and legs together in order to reduce the air resistance and get as far away as possible.

A few heartbeats later she pulled the pin, releasing the parachute, just as Stark dodged a collision with the helicopter by a few inches. The missiles which followed him weren't as smart and struck the machine head-on, obliterating it completely.

Stark was a clever son of a bitch, she'd give him that. But she wasn't out of the game yet.

7

Steve knew they could make it, they were so close... but fate seemed to have other plans. This day would forever remain imprinted in the soldier's mind.

The trio managed to fight their way to the garage where Tony kept an armoured jeep, the best getaway car there was at the moment. It was a short-lived relief because the vehicle suddenly went off.

The explosion burned Clint on his leg and he fell to the ground, screaming in pain. The same would have happened to the redhead if Steve didn't push her out of the way. Forcefully knocked back, the soldier hit the floor with a solid thud. Shield slid out of his hand.

"STEVE!" Natasha yelled as she dragged Barton away from the flaming car wreck. She put the archer against the wall so that he wouldn't exert too much stress on his injured limb.

She then rushed to the soldier who was gasping harshly for air. He tried to get up from his knees but ultimately couldn't keep his balance. Natasha activated the comlink on her wrist.

"Stark, you there? Come in!"

"What's your status, Natasha? Did you make it?"

"No, they blew up the car. Clint's injured and Steve can't walk. I need your help here, ASAP." The spy replied, grabbing a sedative pen from Steve's utility belt and sticking the needle in Barton's leg. The archer winced, clenching his jaw in pain.

"I'll be right there in a minute. You just- oh shit." Tony stopped mid-sentence, as Natasha heard sounds of fight through the comlink. A moment later, all she could hear was a distorted static.

"Tony? Tony! What's going on?" Natasha swapped the channel but there was no response. She was on her own, both of her team members unable to fight, all of them hopelessly outnumbered.

"Na- Nat?" Steve stuttered, gripping his head which felt as if someone pounded his skull with a hydraulic press. He looked around until his sight met Natasha's eyes. Then he looked over her shoulder and blood drained from his face. The spy immediately turned around.

Amidst the rubble and dust, stood Irina Elena Wasilewska, pointing her widow bites directly at Steve. She was eyeing him the way a crow does with a piece of rotten meat.

"Anybody missed me?" She asked in a pleasant voice and tightened her disc hit the soldier right in the chest forcing him to the ground. Steve's perception switched off when he felt thirty thousand volts surging through his body.

Natasha reacted with a speed of light, hurling two knives at Wasilewska simultaneously. The rogue widow managed to avoid the first one with ease but the second blade met her gauntlet, effectively compromising the widow bites on her left wrist.

"You won't touch him again." The spy smiled with satisfaction. Steve stopped twitching and was lying on the ground, panting heavily. Natasha prayed to whoever was up there, that he'd be okay.

Meanwhile Wasilewska grabbed her combat batons and switched them on. Ominous humming of electricity filled the air. "Tell me something, Natalia. Do you even know how to kill me?"

The redhead unsheathed another blade, this time long and serrated.

"I'm gonna cut your goddamn head off. See if that works."

Wasilewska's red-coloured lips curled into a nasty smile.

8

Each sound reaching his ears was muffled as if coming through a layer of cotton wool. Steve shook his head but the details around him became distinguishable, only after a few painfully long seconds. It took him even more time to register a fight taking place a few steps from him.

Everything slowed down as he observed Natasha locked in a deadly duel with a tall, black-haired figure he met all the way back in Venice. Steve's strained mind told him the assailant was the last of Black Widow Program which would explain why her movements were so precise and well-balanced. Both women concentrated on the same goal: to kill the other one.

His fiancée seemed to be holding her own pretty well, even injuring her opponent twice, so there wasn't really a good reason Steve should have felt such an awful sensation in his guts, right?

Well, the intuition didn't fail him.

Natasha didn't scream when Wasilewska dug a blade in her stomach, up until the crossguard. All the redhead did was let out a gasp of surprise as she stumbled a few steps backward. She fell to her knees, gripping the handle of the knife, red gushing like a fountain onto the ground.

For a good moment, Steve was convinced he was hallucinating.

"No, No, No, No, NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! NATASHA!" Those words rang inside the soldier's skull, as his brain failed to comprehend what he had just witnessed.

The surroundings dissolved, the only thing remaining was the motionless body of the woman he loved more than his own life. A pool of blood collected on the floor as he crawled to her.

Steve couldn't have seen how Barton grabbed one of Natasha's abandoned glocks and fired. How the bullet went straight through Wasilewska's throat, ripping the flesh and sending her onto the pile of rubble, dead. It didn't matter to him… nothing did…

Memories played in front of the soldier's eyes as if he was watching an old video tape. One moment, he was kneeling in front of Natasha, proposing to her and feeling like the luckiest man in the world, the next, he was holding the redhead in his arms, watching helplessly as her life seeped through his fingers.

"Natasha! Nat! Hey, hey, hey, stay with me, okay?! Stay with me, I'm right here!" Steve mumbled under his breath, cupping her face with his trembling hand. His fiancée smiled faintly at the touch but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out but a stream of blood, trickling down her chin.

"Nat? Nat! You're okay, alright? You're fine! Just don't go, please Nat, please don't leave me…" Steve desperately continued his pleading but the grass-green eyes of Natasha Romanoff were empty, staring at something she could no longer see.

Tears rolled down his cheeks as the soldier began to scream.

A/N: I know, I know. There could've been a happy ending but it doesn't always roll that way. If you wish to see the definite finale of this story, an epilogue will air soon... / WS