Later that day in the Avengers common room, Natasha and Clint sat huddled around a television screen. "I don't understand this, what am I supposed to be doing?" Natasha's eyebrows were furrowed in frustration as Clint's video game character beat hers into a pulp.

"Just hit the "A" button for the jump move and hit the others to see what abilities you have! Come on Nat it's wrestling. I would have thought that would be something you get!" Natasha looked hard at the screen, trying to maneuver her character into a better position. Clint's fingers flew across the controller and his character leaped at hers, grabbing on and swinging around until he body slammed her. "Game Over," flashed across the screen. Natasha sniffed, "I can do that." Clint gestured to the screen pointedly, "Clearly not."

"No, I mean I can do that in real life moron. Not your stupid video game. Wanna see?" Natasha stood suddenly and Clint flinched then laughed. "You've always been a poor loser. Sucks to suck doesn't it Nat?"

"What like you did in our drill this morning? I'm pretty sure you were the first one out…"

Clint raised a finger, "Technically Cap brought me down, not you."

"At my suggestion!"

"It's nice to be thought of so highly."

Natasha leaped at him and they went tumbling off the couch and across the floor. Tony walked into the room and stared at them briefly as they tousled before lazily pouring himself a drink, "Ladies, ladies, you're both pretty, now knock it off before you destroy the place." He snatched a vase off a side table just as they bowled into it. Steve walked into the room and looked dryly between the wrestling pair and Tony, "What did I miss?"

"Apparently this is what playing video games with Romanoff looks like." Steve watched them amused, then nodded, "That doesn't really surprise me."

"Maybe you should try going a round with her sometime Cap," Tony raised his eyebrows suggestively. Steve went to the sink and poured himself a glass of water without looking at him, "Mind your own business Tony." Tony shrugged, "Just a thought."

An alert popped up on the screen with a loud ding, and Fridays voice made Nat and Clint break apart to see what was happening, "Some breaking news for you sir. I thought you should see."

Tony looked up, "Let's have it then Friday." Natasha and Clint were only half listening, catching their breath lying on the floor, still occasionally hitting each other and laughing. Wanda and Sam came into the room, followed by Vision and T'Challa, "Is there an alert?" Tony nodded and gestured to the couch. Friday turned the screens on around the room and spoke, "I have been monitoring the activity of the Black Widow program in Russia as requested, and there is some activity that might be of concern."

Natasha sat bolt upright, all previous mirth wiped off her face. "Friday what did you find?"

Tony looked at her incredulously, "Friday who gave you the instructions to follow the Black Widow Program?"

"Natasha Romanoff sir."

"And you didn't consult me on this?"

"Ms. Romanoff used all appropriate methods sir. The protocol was not broken." Tony looked at Natasha accusingly, "You hacked my systems?"

Natasha ignored him, getting to her feet unsteadily, "Friday what did you find?!"

"A known leader of the Black Widow program was spotted within U.S borders today at 11:57 AM." Friday pulled up a fuzzy traffic cam shot of a woman with sharp features and light blonde hair. A strangled sound issued from Natasha, whose face had gone paperwhite. It was the face of the woman that had eluded her in her dreams. Steve ran to her side and took her elbow, "Who is she Nat?"

Natasha ignored him, swallowing hard, "Friday, where was this picture taken?" Friday pulled up a map and zeroed in on the location. Natasha whirled around to look at Clint, who met her terrified gaze with horror.

"Laura."

"The kids. How did they find you?"

Clint was up and scrambling desperately in the couch for his phone, his fingers slipping as he dialed the number that would reach his wife. Natasha looked at the clock, it had been thirty minutes since the traffic cam had snapped the photo. Her mind raced with calculations.

"Laura?! Oh my God are you safe?"

Natasha let out a huge breath that she hadn't realized she was holding. They weren't too late.

"Laura get the kids and get into the panic room. Nat and I are on our way to you, just lock yourself in and stay there until I arrive. I love you. Everything is going to be fine." As Clint hung up he looked at Natasha, who was visibly trembling. He put his hands on her shoulders to calm her, "Look, we knew this was a possibility, we have made the arrangements. Everyone is safe. I need you to keep your head." Natasha nodded, her expression resolved, "Of course."

"Meet me at the quinjet in 5. Suit up."

Steve looked between Clint and Natasha, "Wait what is going on? You have a panic room? Who is this woman?"

Clint looked at him, his stress making him irritable, "I stole the KGB's Red Room valedictorian and turned her against her country. Of course I have a panic room, I'm not an idiot. I'm just surprised it has taken them this long."

Steve looked at Natasha, who was lost in a dark memory, her eyes glazed over. He shook her lightly, "Natasha. Tell me what is happening. Who is that woman?" Natasha eyes snapped up to his face as if she had just noticed him. Her mouth had gone dry, she tried twice before successfully answering. Her words came out in a whisper, "Darya Sokolov. The woman who made me what I am." Steve hugged her but she was stiff in his arms. He took her face in his hands, "Natasha, it's just one woman. We can handle this." Natasha jerked free of him, her voice raising and coming across slightly hysterical, "She's not just one woman! She is THE woman. She raised me, brainwashed me, sterilized me and was directly in charge of my punishment after Kristoff. Wherever she goes death follows. And she always goes for your weakness." Her eyes grew wide as she looked at him, "Clint is first, she hates him for freeing me but she'll come for you. I've been all over the news, we have been all over the news. Steve you can't stay here."

Steve was shaking his head, "Nat, we can prepare for this, take a stand. And she's nowhere near here!"

"You don't understand! You think she's alone?! She commands legions of women like me! Women who are trained to avoid being detected. That photo was a message, not a mistake. She would never let herself be photographed! This is personal for her, now that she knows where I am she will never, never give up. No matter what it costs her!" She sat down hard on an arm of a chair, "I've never stayed in one place this long before… She was bound to figure it out." She looked up at Steve and saw uncertainty in his eyes. He was so steadfast, always so full of faith that any problem could be overcome if you took a stand. She shook her head. Hitting the star on her bracelet she let her shield down and showed Steve her nightmare. He saw everything through her eyes and felt the abject terror that consumed her at the thought of not being able to convinced Steve of how serious this was. He grimaced at the onslaught of emotion. Natasha's eyes went wide as she remembered the dream, "They aren't just nightmares, they're premonitions…"

"No. Nothing is going to happen to me."

"Not if you listen to me."

He looked at her carefully, considering that in this, she might know more than he did. "What do you have in mind?"

Natasha took his hands, "I have to go with Clint. We will collect Laura and the kids and meet you in Wakanda." She looked at T'Challa, who nodded, "Of course."

"You need to collect your things and head there now, and let Tony close down the tower and follow with the team. I will be there as soon as I can."

Steve shook his head, obstinate, "I want to go with you, I can help." Another flood of crushing fear rolled through Natasha and into him. He grunted and rubbed his chest.

"No. You cannot be anywhere near her. Please Steve. Do what I ask."

"Nat we have to go!" Clint urged her from the doorway.

"PLEASE Steve!"

"Fine! I don't like it but I will do it." He grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and spoke fiercely down at her, his own fear of abandonment rolling through her, "But if you don't meet me there, I am coming after you. If you take off 'for the greater good' of the team or give yourself up to try to save us I will hunt you down for as long as it takes until I find you again. Get Clint's family, and come back to me. We will work out a plan from there." Natasha nodded emphatically, "I promise. I will come back." To the surprise of the team, Natasha pulled Steve down for one quick, passionate kiss. "Thank you," she whispered to him, her green eyes full of tears of relief. Without waiting for an answer she turned and ran from the room after Clint.

Steve stared after her long after she was out of sight, feeling like he was burning from the inside out. Had he made the right decision? Wanda's hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality.

"Steve, if the Russians have crossed our borders and are hunting down Natasha's friends, we can't waste any time. You need to go. We will follow when things are settled here."

Tony nodded, "As much as I hate to admit it Steve, this is serious. I have family history with the Black Widow Program. They count on you underestimating them. Let's not make that mistake. I say we go dark and come up with a plan of attack while they scramble to find us. I'll notify government officials, they won't have this information yet." He sniffed, "Amateurs. I'll put the tower on lock down and then follow. You being here puts us in danger so do the right thing Cap, leave. Now."

Steve looked at Tony in frustration, knowing he was using trigger phrases like "do the right thing," just to get him to go. Things weren't black and white, and he wasn't certain of anything. But he had made Natasha a promise, and he intended to keep it. He looked around at his team members and said stiffly, "Follow as soon as you can."