Chapter Four

The air was still ringing from the impact of the falling building. Smoke billows out and in the distance she could hear screams and shouts, the evidence that battle is going on. Inside her, a voice is screaming in utter panic. Why is this happening? It was barely even a month ago when most of the people now hitting, striking to maim the other were sitting back in the warmth of Barton's living-room. Laughing, tossing back a beer or two, watching in amusement as the Captain America was immersed in teaching Clint's eldest boy how to strike a heroic pose with the iconic shield. We were a family, the voice inside Natasha screamed again. Why is this happening?

Sounds of running footsteps shook her from her silent anguish. She looked up and watched as Steve and the Winter Soldier sprinted in her direction, heading for the helicopter behind her. As they caught sight of her, both slowed down, Steve with a grim expression on his face. As if steeling himself for a fight. Was he really steeling himself to fight her?

"You wouldn't stop," she stated as he reached her. She searched his face for some sign of hesitation, the same anguish she was feeling that this was what's become of them all. There was none and she felt a heaviness in her heart. Was this how it feels like to have your heart broken?

"You know I can't, Nat," he answered after a slight pause. And as he uttered her name, she could see maybe a small note of regret in his voice. At the corner of her eyes, she sees a black silhouette in the distance, making his way closer. And she made up her mind.

"Then go," she said harshly, straightening her back as she got ready for another fight. Her eyes were locked at the figure of the Black Panther inching closer, and she missed the shaking breath of relief coming out of him. But she felt it just the same.

They quickly rushed past her but even as she heard the sound of the helicopter door opening, she felt a hand gripped her arm. "Come with us," his voice was harsh with pleading and for a second, she abandoned all her training and closed her eyes. Fighting the urge to turn and march alongside him. Leave this place, this fight and just be with him. Was there ever a time when Steve Rogers was not by her side? If there was she couldn't remember it now.

She shook her head, sadly and looked up to meet his pleading eyes. "I have to stand up for what I believe in, Steve. Just as you are doing."

"You can't tell me you believe in this. They want to rob us off of our control and freedom to act!" He grimaced and brought his face even closer. She felt crowded by his intensity for a second and fought the urge to bring them even closer, to seal this goodbye with something more than pleading looks and harsh words.

"No, Steve. They're telling us to take responsibility for our actions. They're saying that there are laws that need to be respected. That groups of people cannot feel that they can do anything they want," she paused, taking a deep shaky breath, "including robbing orphans and training them to be killers."

She watched as he frowned, about to refute her words but she shook her head, knowing that T'challa was going to be here any second. "We do not see eye to eye on this, Steve. But I know how much Bucky means to you. So go," she paused as his hand on her arm tightened. As if he was contemplating dragging her with him, against her wish. "I'll always have your back, Steve," she said when she could have said other words. Words that would commit, words that would have been perhaps closer to what she was feeling.

His blue eyes searched hers as if still waiting for her to change her mind. And that was the instant that the Black Panther emerged, claws out and feet rushing to reach them. Natasha, her reflex kicking in, shook away Steve's hand and with an insistent, "Go. Now!" whipped out her Widow's Bite and aimed it at the Black Panther.

She felt the moment Steve left her. Felt the emptiness, an immediate vacuum that felt all of a sudden alien to her, even though it has been her companion for so long. She heard the sound of the helicopter come to live and felt the sudden rush of air that accompanied it. But she was soon distracted from all of this as T'challa cast her a look of betrayal even as he jumped out to attack her.

Without hesitating, she shot him with the Widow's Bite. She countered his accusing glare with a shrug even as the helicopter started taking off behind them. "I said I'd helped you find him. I never said I'll let you catch him," she said simply as she shot another wave of energy as a last attempt to keep the Black Panther down.

"Don't hang up."

"Well, this is an improvement from my previous calls," Tony's voice drawled lazily after a telling brief silence. "Ross hasn't stop hounding me since our dear ol' cap went on a prison heist a week ago. I would have thought my putting him on hold to the sound of AC/DC would have loosened his resolve. But I gotta say, the man is nothing but persistent." Another small silence. " Did you have a hand in that, by the way?

Natasha sighed and adjusted her sunglasses. Tony and her has come along way from that first day at the boxing ring when she pretended to be Natalie Rushman, personal assistant. In that time, she has learned that the man can be every bit as obnoxious as he appeared to the world but that that was not all there was to him. She witnessed first hand the concern and worry he felt when the task force succeeded in catching Steve and Sam. She knew him well enough that even as he traded quips and condescending remarks with members of the Avengers, especially Steve, that deep down he would have laid down his life for every one of them, and in fact has done so in the battle of New York.

Which was why this show of mistrust strikes a chord deep inside her.

"Believe it or not, Stark, Captain America is perfectly capable of acting without my assistance."

- "That's definitely news to me, considering how many times you've come to his aid. Berlin Airport, included, by the way."

"Fuck you, Tony. I didn't call to talk about Steve."

"I didn't know we have anything else to talk about. Was that not you attempting to deep-fry Black Panther at the airport? I mean, sure, the image was a bit fuzzy but you're the only one with the red hair in my team, right? Or did you get confused between Black Panther and Hawkeye? I must admit, the black leather could.."

- "Tony, I don't have time for this. We can rehash all the bad decisions we've made another time, alright? But right now, I need you to do me a favour and this involves all of us," she interrupted him, impatiently. She was using a burner phone to make the call but her training tells her that she still needs to keep the call short. She glanced around the bustling coffee shop. No one seems to be minding her any undue attention. For now.

"Where are you?" he demanded, his tone all serious now.

- "You know I can't tell you that."

"Are you safe?"

She suddenly fought the urge to laugh. Safe was no longer a word that describes her life. If it ever did. Here she was, a fugitive, no longer allowed to claim her name and her identity, accused of violating the very law she fought to protect. But she didn't do this. Instead, she took a deep sigh and stated non-committedly, "Safe enough. Look, Tony, there's something weird going on here. I can't get into this with you over the phone but Fury and I…"

-"Fury? You're with Fury?"

"I was with Fury. I left two days ago. And let me finish, okay?"

- "Okay, okay."

"Okay, listen carefully. We think someone breached the facility the day of Ross's visit and left me a note in my room. I need you to check surveillance and see if there's anything on tape."

- "Nat, the Avengers Facility has a state-of-the-art security system…"-

"… - which is even more worrying that someone could bypass it, don't you think?"

There was a short silence at the other end. "What did the note say?"

"The content of the note is not the important thing. What's important is the intention of the person or persons leaving the note and pretending to be Fury."

There was another silence, followed by a deep sigh. "Great, fine, I'll have Vision go over the surveillance. Gives him something better to do other than mooning over that long-haired Judas."

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Just because they didn't agree with us, didn't make them Judases, Tony."

"Yeah, yeah, let's not get into this right now. How will I be able to reach you when, if, we find something?"

She gathered her things and got ready to leave. "Don't call me, Stark. I'll call you," and hung up.