CHAPTER TEN
"Tasha, you can't really be seriously going through with this," Wanda said without preamble, intercepting Natasha just as she was about to board the Stark-sponsored Avengers aircraft.
Natasha let out a sigh. This was a conversation she had expected to have with Steve and had been dreading ever since the group discussion after Ross's bombshell. She was not surprised that the man had remained stoic when she had taken the differing view. There was disappointment in his eyes but he had refrained from saying anything to change her mind. And then he was gone upon hearing news about Margaret Carter's death.
But Wanda was a different story. She knew that the girl was not happy with her decision. "Wanda, this is something I feel is the right thing to do," she tried explaining.
"To have people tell us what to do and where to go?" Wanda questioned, her hands on her hips. "Steve doesn't think so."
Natasha gave out a weary sigh. "Steve's last experience with international organization had been the League of Nations, the one that failed to prevent the world war that he was forced to fight in. I understand why he would have trust issues with the idea of us being controlled by such organization," Natasha explained. "But this is the United Nations, Wanda. A total of one hundred and ninety-three countries are represented in the UN. One hundred and ninety-three countries in the world crying out for us to be regulated. How can we honestly say that what we do is in the service of the public if we ignore what the public want?"
This silenced Wanda for a minute but her hard expression did not change. "You keep saying we but it's really me. I am the one they want to control. I am the one they fear. I am the one who caused all those deaths in Lagos," Wanda cried out, her voice ending in a quiver. "And you believe this too. That is why you are going to Geneva to sign the Accords," she continued, her voice revealing the depth of how betrayed she felt.
"NO, Wanda, you've got it all wrong," Natasha began to say but Wanda cut her off.
- "Then why was I not allowed to go with Sam to London? Vision said Tony wants me to remain here. For what reason other than to keep me away from people? Because of what I can do, my powers."
Natasha walked over to where Wanda stood and gripped the girl's arms. "You listen to me. Lagos was not your fault. What you did save Steve's life! Yes, it was unfortunate that it led to the deaths of others, but you did not intend for it to happen that way." She tightened her grip. "Wanda, I know what it feels like to cause deaths. I know what it feels like to have people's eyes look at me with judgement and fear. So you must understand why I need to do this."
Wanda's face remained unconvinced and Natasha sighed, checking the time on her watch. "We'll talk more about this once I return from Geneva, okay? I'm running late as it is and I'd like to stop by London to check on Cap," she said, releasing her grip on the girl's arms. "I'll talk to Tony, okay? I think he's being overly cautious and I'll tell him that. You sit tight until we return, you hear me?"
Wanda nodded her head and satisfied with this, Natasha made a move to board the aircraft. Before she could enter, Wanda's voice stopped her. "Tasha, remember that thing we talked about? You and Steve?" she called out and Natasha turned around to see Wanda's concerned face. "Think about what I said, okay? Before it's too late."
Natasha's fingers recoiled from the photo as if burnt. It was two days after the prison incident and she was yet to be dismissed from the hospital, due to the trauma from being pinned by the piece of fallen debris. Earlier that afternoon, Peter Parker had dropped by to check on her as well as to hand in the surveillance photos that she and Tony had instructed him to look into. It seemed that the kid had some pretty advanced hacking skills and considering Tony was otherwise preoccupied, he had been tasked with looking into the whereabouts of Sharon Carter before she disappeared and joined the other fugitives.
The team had had a long debriefing the night of the after the tragedy at the prison inside this very hospital room.
"They've got a mole in their team," Tony stated, wearily, slumped over in the armchair positioned next to Natasha's bed. His face mirrored the sentiments felt all around the room. Grief, exhaustion, anger all rolled into one. "General Ross knew exactly what the Cap had planned. He seems to think that you had a hand in it too, Nat," he continued, casting her a speculative look.
Natasha, too numb to muster up an effort to put up a vehement protest, just gave him a steady look and asked, "And what exactly made him think that?"
Tony shrugged, an action meant to reassure her that he did not share Ross's conclusion. "Seems the informer also mentioned that you had Clint looking out for Steve and Wanda."
Natasha's face remained stony. "I did," she replied, matter-of-factly. "But I hadn't heard from him since."
"Then it seems, my friends, that we must assume the traitor to be deep within Cap's circle of allies," Thor deduced, his face grave and arms folded.
"I think we can safely rule Hawkeye out, right?" Banner interjected and they all agreed.
"That leaves Sam, Tchalla and Agent Carter," Tony stated.
- "… and the Ant dude," Peter added, helpfully. At Thor's and Banner's perplexed look, he stammered, "Erm, he's another superhero? About this small," he explained, using his thumb and forefinger as illustrations.
Natasha shook her head. "Antman wasn't with them tonight."
- "Neither was T'challa. But for good reasons, I suppose. To maintain appearances," Tony speculated.
"And Sam wouldn't do this. He's got no reason to. He's been with Steve since Washington," Natasha said, simply.
It was inevitable for their suspicion to land on Agent Carter. They weren't ready to rule out Ant Man and Tchalla either but she was the least known variable. The first thing they needed was more information on the former SHIELD agent.
And that was the reason why Natasha found herself staring at a stack of surveillance photos on Sharon Carter's whereabouts before her disappearance. Except Natasha could not move on from the current photo on her lap to look at the others in the pile. Her eyes locked on the image of Steve Rogers in a lip-lock with the blonde, noting the way his arms were wrapped around her and the content expression on his face. She tried to drag her fingers to move on to the next photo but she couldn't bring herself to touch it, the last thing Wanda said to her playing in her mind. She closed her eyes, fresh pain overwhelming her at the reminder of her loss.
Was Wanda right? It was getting harder and harder for Natasha to deny her feelings. Not with the way she was reacting to the sight of Steve embracing someone that was not her. She tried telling herself that she was behaving irrationally and that this was unlik her. She tried telling herself that Steve was not hers, and as such she has no right to feel betrayed by the sight of Steve kissing another woman. Besides, Sharon Carter, - or at least the Sharon Carter she believed her to be-, was exactly the type of woman Steve belongs with. Steve deserved more than Natasha who has always been shaped to be nothing more than a tool for death and destruction.
Scolding herself for this moment of weakness, she picked up the photo and swiftly placed it at the bottom of the pile. That was not the role set out for her in Steve's life. He has made his decision and Natasha must set up her mind to be happy for him, to support him as she has always done since Washington.
She repeated this in her mind as she flicked through the stack of photos, not seeing anything incriminating until she was halfway through. It was a photo of Sharon outside of her apartment and by her side were two men Natasha did not recognize. One was an older, bespectacled men with a stocky build. He was in a suit but he wore it as if he would have been more comfortable in another garment. A military man, he appeared to be. The other had his face turned away and Natasha flicked through more of the photos but failed to find one which captured a good look at the second man.
But it was not the men that first triggered Natasha's internal alarm. It was the vacant look in the otherwise warm and serene Sharon Carter that had Natasha giving the photos a deeper inspection.
"Found something?" Tony's voice interrupted her from her scrutiny. "Coz I've been hitting brick walls all day. I've, in fact, just been tearing the hospital administrator a new one. So I would expect a drop in their medical attention, if I were you," he continued, taking the seat next to her bed.
"No news on Wanda's body?" Natasha questioned.
"Unless she up and walk out the morgue by herself, the man insisted that there has been no records of her body being moved at any given time."
Natasha studied Tony's face. "Is that even a possibility?"
Tony looked up and met her eyes. "We all saw her go down. We were close enough afterwards to see the wounds on her chest," he said, "…right?" He paused then looked at her, "What do you know about Wanda and where her powers came from?"
Natasha frowned. "What do you mean? You were right there at Stucker's bunker, Stark. She and Pietro were products of some kind of science experiment, weren't they?"
Tony rolled his eyes at Natasha's mention of science experiments but wisely chose not to comment. "At least that's what Stucker wanted them to believe," he murmured. "You see, after Sokovia, I started reading up on genetic mutation. What? I just had a slip of girl played voodoo with my head, okay? Of course I wanted to understand how that could happen."
"Of course, please continue. And try to use as much English as you possibly can."
Tony smirked at her. "Allow me to make this simple for you. What science did to enhance our Cap's body is just a replication of what nature did for Wanda and those X Men kids. Except, with nature, there is no telling what the mutation will result in. And some specialists argued that there is no guarantee that the body will stop evolving once it started."
Natasha was starting to get where Tony was headed with this. "So mutants can develop more powers over time whereas Steve, because his was scientifically manipulated, will always just have the one?"
"Exactly. And Wanda certainly lend credence to that theory. Not only can she manipulate minds, she can also control energy and move things with it," Tony interpolated. "Ever since the appearance of the first mutant, many studies have been conducted to explain the reason for this. A few years back, Dr Jean Grey, before her disappearance stated that in her research on mutation, almost all of them she had talked to reveal that their powers appear after a particularly traumatic experience, whether psychologically or physically she was reluctant to differentiate. "
"Except, Tony, that Wanda told us that her powers started appearing when Stucker picked them up and experimented with them."
"Which was not too long after they lost their parents in the bomb attack. I read the reports left behind after Stucker left. He wasn't experimenting on Wanda and Pietro. He was trying to extract what was in their bodies to try and replicate on others." Tony finished then kept quiet.
Natasha studied Tony's face and felt a sudden wave of hope crushing her heart. "Tony," Natasha breathe, "do you think Wanda is alive?"
His eyes locked with hers. "I'll have Peter check surveillance cameras from the across the hospital. But yeah, Nat, I do believe she is."
"Greetings, my friends!" a jovial voice interrupted their serious conversation. Natasha looked up just in time to see the smile slipped off Thor's face as he stepped inside the room, Banner following close behind. "Natasha, you should not be working while you are convalescing. When a warrior is injured in battle, he should be cared for, "he lectured, grabbing the stacks of photos from Natasha's hands despite her protest, "and pampered," he finished, heavy-handedly shoving Natasha to lay back on her bed.
Banner stood beside Tony's seated form, both failing in their attempt to keep a straight face as Natasha sat back up with a huff. "Thor, thank you for your concern but I'm perfectly fine. I don't see why I can't return to the facility anyway. And give me those back, Thor."
A bewildered Thor handed her the stack of photos and Natasha quickly flipped through the pile in search for the one with the two men, studiously avoiding looking at Steve's photo. When she found it, she pointed at the face of the military man. "We should look into these men," she announced.
The three men leaned forward to take a look and Natasha did not miss the way Thor's eyes snapped to Banner upon seeing the face. "Banner, does that image not appear akin to the man described by Frau Schafer?"
Upon Natasha's confused look, Banner stated in response, "Tony sent us to ask around Sharon Carter's neighbours. And yes, I suppose this man fits in the description."
"So you got anything useful?" Tony enquired.
Banner hesitated the same time Thor nodded his head emphatically. "We found many things. Her neighbours were rather accommodating and shared many stories about her comings and goings. This is what I like most of Midgard, the people are all so gracious and obliging."
Tony turned to Banner and enquired, "The neighbours are mostly women, aren't they?"
Banner nodded his head, eyes on his feet and lips hiding an amused smile as Tony rolled his eyes. Natasha too shared in their amusement.
"Of course they're accommodating, Thor when you're all dressed in that – wait, what size shirt are you wearing? Is that an M? Someone needs to take Thor shopping for clothes that actually fit, people," Tony snarked.
"Or not," Natasha quipped, flashing Tony a playful look, "We do want people to continue to be accommodating and obliging," she said with a grin then turned serious eyes to Banner. "What about the man?"
Banner shrugged. "I am not all that sure if it's relevant. But according to her next-door neighbour, she was last seen in the company of these two men before she disappeared that very night."
Tony shrugged. "At this point we'll use whatever we can," he said, standing up, "Nat, since espionage and surveillance is your kinda thing, I leave this in your hands?" Natasha signaled her assent with a roll of her eyes. Straightening up his blazer, Tony announced, "Then I'll make sure to have another lovely talk with the administrator. If you say you're fine, no reason you have to continue to stay in this pathetic excuse of a hospital."
The man was Wallace Smith and he claimed to be a financial consultant. This information Natasha received from Thor, based on his own conversation with another of Sharon Carter's neighbour, a single parent with whom the latter sometimes hung out with. Searching known databases, however, did not produce any Wallace Smith that fits the description of the man in the photo. So it was another dead end.
Slamming her laptop down in frustration, Natasha jumped at the knock on her door. Her surprise amplified as the door opened to reveal T'challa's apologetic look. When she rose to stand, he quickly strode in, with his hands up, "Please, Ms Romanoff. I have heard of your injury. Do not stand on my account." Natasha sat back down, and gestured to the empty seat before her.
"Your highness, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Natasha enquired, reverting swiftly to politeness. This was the first time she has spoken with T'challa ever since the airport incident. Even though he has publicly refuted his charge against her, she knew that Tony was behind all that. As such she was unsure whether there remain residual resentment over her actions. She watched carefully as he took the proffered seat.
He gave her a steady look and smiled. "I hope you are feeling much recovered, Ms Romanoff. A mutual friend of ours is very concerned when news of your prolonged stay at the hospital reached us. He sends me here to enquire of your wellbeing."
Natasha frowned at his mention of mutual friend. As if sensing her confusion, T'challa clarified. "Steve Rogers is even now under my hospitality. Has been since he was declared a fugitive. Him, and other members of your Avengers team. And recently Agent Sharon Carter has been added to the mix as well."
Natasha's elation at the news that Steve had made it to safety diminished slightly at the mention of Sharon Carter's name.
"I would also like to convey my condolences at the loss of your fellow Avenger. Wanda was an admirable person and her absence will be greatly missed," T'challa stated, solemnly.
Natasha nodded her head, lowering her eyes, unwilling to reveal the depth of her sorrow at his words but also the budding hope Tony's hypothesis had awaken in her. Instead she looked up at him and said, "Thank you for your warm words, your highness. I'm sorry, would you like something to drink?"
He shook his head quickly, "No, Ms Romanoff.."
-" Natasha," she interjected.
"No, thank you, Natasha. I cannot stay long as it is. But before I take my leave, there is another reason for my visit here," he started. "I am aware that there has been a somewhat reconciliation between the two sides," he paused again, awaiting Natasha's nodding as confirmation before continuing, "As such, I merely wish to extend an invitation to you, and Tony Stark as well, to visit my kingdom. After all, I do owe you and the other Avengers a token of appreciation for your part in attempting to apprehend the proprietor of my father's death."
She raised an eyebrow at his words and he seemed to understand her unspoken question. "It will offer an opportunity to also bridge the two sides further and perhaps we can have discussions over future actions regarding our common problem," he explained, meaning the disaster that the Accords has become at present.
Natasha thought this invitation over. On one hand was her desire to finally reunite with Steve and the others. But she also questioned the wisdom of showing their hand when there is still the issue of a mole in their midst.
At her continued silence, T'challa raised perceptive eyes to Natasha. "I do understand the root of your reluctance, Natasha. We, too, are wary of the channel of communication the members of the task force seems to have within my walls. Perhaps, this too, can be the agenda for discussion upon your visit?" he questioned, his voice alluding to deeper meaning, and Natasha understood that the word discussion could easily be replaced by interrogation. She now fully understood the reason for his visit.
"I will speak to Tony about this and let you know of our decision."
He nodded his head and made a move to stand. "Yes, that would be most wise. I shall of course, extend a formal invitation in these coming days for your visit. I look forward to your reply, Natasha," he said and after giving her a farewell nod, walked towards the door.
He turned to her before he left. "Our friend will be happy to know that you are looking well, Natasha. Do continue to take care of your person," he said, warmly, leaving Natasha to stare at the closing door, fighting the rush of emotions his words brought back to her.