4 : TRAITOR
"Captain Rogers has been captured" Victoria Hand informed Director Fury "Sadly as it sound, but it turned out that the last remaining HYDRA sleeper agent is the Black Widow"
"It cannot be" Coulson said "She's an Avenger"
"She is HYDRA, Phil." Hand confirmed "And she is the one that handed Captain America to Baron Strucker"
"Send everyone we had in. Just get Rogers out of there. We will deal with Romanoff later" Fury gave an order.
The two senior agents nodded and left the room immediately.
"Hill, tell Stark and Banner to prepare the med-bay. We don't know how bad Rogers' situation was"
"Yes, sir"
Coulson and his team led the strike with an army of SHIELD agents and Victoria Hand oversee the whole operation. Coulson was able to help Captain America out the containment cell that HYDRA put him in. They secure the Captain with multiple magnetic restrainers and a mist of sedative flow through the air vent.
They were able to help Steve out of the cell when the Black Widow was standing, guarding the way out.
"Move, Natasha or I have to kill you"
Natasha chuckled "You think you really can do that, Phil."
"How could you do this to us, to him? We were friends!"
"No, SHIELD is one of my mark"
"Don't bother talking to this traitor, Coulson" May interrupted "I will hold her off"
Coulson and Triplett took Steve out of the cell while May held Natasha off
"The Black Widow and the Cavalry, huh?" Natasha spoke up
"Never call me that"
"Tell me again, Fury. How could you let this happened?" Tony asked
"I already told you, Stark. I sent Rogers and Romanoff in for a mission"
"I mean how you could not know that Romanoff is a HYDRA!"
"She helped me, Hill, Wilson and Rogers take down HYDRA. How will you tell that she is a traitor when she help you taking it down?"
"She is a damn good liar" Tony muttered angrily
She was one of his closest friends. She was Pepper's best friend. She was an Avenger. She was one of them.
"I know you are angry at her, Stark but there's nothing we can do"
"There's one thing we can do, Fury." Tony said "Kill her"
"We don't know that she really is a traitor"
"She betrayed Steve. She betrayed us. She tortured him! Look at what she'd done, Fury!"
The elevator rang and the rest of the Avengers and their friends walked toward the two men. They all could sense the tension. Clint, Thor, Jane, Darcy, Pepper, and Rhodey were looking at them.
"What's the update?" Clint ask
"I'm sorry to inform you, Avengers but the Black Widow appeared to be the traitor in our rank and she's a HYDRA sleeper agent"
"It cannot be" Clint grasped
"It's the truth, Barton" Tony confirmed
"How should we inform the captain?" Thor asked "Eventually, he will know"
"You can go ahead and tell him, Fury. That his wife is the one who get him capture and torture him. But don't forget that she betrays him"
It took Steve three days to finally wake up but the wounds and bruises weren't healed properly. There's still a red mark on his torso with a sharp of hourglass, the Black Widow symbol. The mark that clearly identified the torturer.
"Slow down, Captain. You're still injure"
"Where's Natasha?" The first question he asked sent everyone in the room into silent. Steve could notice everyone uncomfortable gesture so he asked again "Where is my wife?!"
Everything ran passed Steve's mind. He was afraid that she will badly injure or captured. The mission went south and they were both captured. He could remember only a very faint memory of Natasha standing over him with a gun in her hand.
"Captain, she…Natasha…"
"She's what, Fury?"
"She betrayed us" Fury replied
"I don't believe you"
"She's the last HYDRA sleeper agent in SHIELD. The perfect mole among us. She's the one who torture you and leave you that big wound on your torso"
Fury went on and on and gave Steve every detail of how his betrayed wife deceived and lied and tortured him while he was under HYDRA's captive. Fitz and Simmons were able to get some important data and video feed from the prison, a proof that the Black Widow is a traitor.
It was the most heartbreaking screen anyone had ever seen. The Captain listened in complete silence as tear forming in his blue eyes.
"I will go find her"
"Stop right there, Captain. We are regrouping right now and waiting for the chance to strike back again."
"I will kill her myself"
"I want you to capture her for a proper punishment"
But it's all in Steve's eyes. Anger and pain. The string of betrayal by the love of his life.
"Remember my words, Fury. I will kill her myself next time I see her"
Steve went off on his own. No one knew where he went but Tony Stark knew the Captain too well. He slipped a tracker on the Captain's uniform.
"Steve, you knew better than to hunt down HYDRA alone" A familiar voice sounded behind him.
Steve didn't reply but threw his shield at the voice. She quickly dodged. Steve found himself surrounded by HYDRA soldiers. He could finish them all but the only one he really to deal with right now was the woman standing in front of him.
"I didn't come here for them." Captain America replied "I will kill you myself"
"Oh, sweetheart. That's the biggest mistake you made yet"
"You are my biggest mistake, Natasha" He coldly said.
"Boys! I prefer him alive. HYDRA still need his blood for the experiment"
HYDRA soldier attacked Steve but the Captain was able to fend them off without any problem. The only problem was they kept coming. Endless wave of enemy and Natasha grew impatient. She finally got a window of opportunity and shot her widow bite which sent Steve to the ground long enough for the HYDRA agents to secure him with magnetic cuff.
"I promise you one thing, Widow. I will kill you myself"
"Sedate him" She ordered and walked away.
Steve woke up again. He found himself in a containment room, secured by magnetic restrainers at his neck, wrists, waist, and ankles. He saw Natasha sitting across the room. Her green eyes locked at his face.
"You used to love to tie me down like this in our bed" He spoke up "But I guess you remember none of that"
"Steve…"
"Remember when you say you love me? Remember when we first kiss? DO YOU REMEMBER ANY OF THAT?" He bellowed and made her winced.
"I remember all of it. It's all mean a lot to me"
"When you say you love me, did you really mean it or it just a plan to completely had my heart in your hand so you can do whatever you want with me later?"
"Steve, I need you to trust me"
"Why do I have to trust you, Romanoff? After all, it was nothing but a lie you told us. Do you really love me or I'm just another mark for your grand plan with HYDRA?"
"I done all of this because of a reason"
"I don't want to know. I don't want to see you anymore because the next time I see you, I will kill you with my own hands. You will pay for what you have done, traitor"
Natasha turned away from Steve and walked away from the man she love, tried really hard to hide her tears.
Steve slipped in and out of his consciousness because of the sedative HYDRA gave him. He lose track of the time. Then he heard an explosive and then the door to his cell. Tony and Clint walked in and helped him out from the restrainer.
"Hey guys" Steve said weakly
"Cap, hold on. We're here to help you" Clint said
"I will inject you with a antidote. It will help you get back in fight" Tony told and injected the said antidote at Steve's neck.
The antidote kicked in and Steve was able to get on his own feet. Clint handed him the comm.
"Let's go" Tony said
"I have to deal with her"
"Steve, this place was about to explode"
"I have to kill her by myself"
They knew it was the only thing in Steve's mind right now but Fury ordered them to capture Natasha alive.
Steve ran to the main lobby where he saw Natasha was battling with Agent May. Natasha got the upper hand when Steve intervened.
"I'm the man of my word, Romanoff"
"I'm sorry, Steve"
"Save you word, Natasha. It's just another lie"
He didn't listen to any of her word anymore. He charged in. Their fight was predictive and almost choreographic. They knew how one another would move and quickly countered their move. It was endless fight. After many years of fighting together, working together and spent everyday of their life together.
There's only a draw.
Steve adapted her fighting style and landed a low blow the way he never did before on her body, sending Natasha on the ground and he pinned down by her throat.
"Goodbye, Natasha" He said and squeezed his hand tightly
She was struggled, did every way she could to make him let go of her. Steve was angry and caught up in the sweet revenge as he saw the life slowly left her body.
She grasped out his name "Steve…" One hand pointed behind him.
Steve quickly turned around and he saw a RPG coming his way. His instinct kicked in as he raised his shield and pulled her into his embrace and protected them from the incoming attack. The impact force was enough to send Steve flying across the room.
Two HYDRA soldiers held Natasha up and took her out of the fight scene when the Captain slowly raised up and fought off the incoming wave of enemies. He was surrounded again. Natasha could see that one sniper was on the second floor and was aiming at Steve.
She ran as fast as he can, yelling his name and told he to look out. Steve didn't hear her. The shot fired and Natasha jumped in and took three shots for him. He body fell thud to the ground while Steve finished off the remaining enemies and rushed to her side.
"She did all of this to save your life, captain. She's bargaining her allegiance to HYDRA for your life when we first capture both of you" Baron Strucker's voice came from the second floor "But you seemed not to trust her enough and look what it cost you now"
Steve didn't care to chase after the villain but held Natasha in his arms, trying very hard to stop the bleeding.
"Tony! come here." Steve yelled to the comm "Nat is injured"
"On my way!"
"Stay with me, Nat. Don't leave me" The Captain said "I'm so sorry."
Natasha shook her head and raised her hand to his face.
"If it was…down to me to save your life" She stopped and coughed with blood out from her mouth "would you trust me to do it?"
"I would now" He replied and began to cry.
She smiled before slowly closed her eyes. Steve shook her body, yelling at the top of his lung and broke down
AN: Next chapter will be back to fluff. Sorry for the angst.