"Is your car here?" Natasha checked the weapons on her hip habitually as they walked out of the elevator and into the Refuge lobby. Scarlett gestured around the back corner instead of toward the front doors. The security officer was still standing guard. She'd asked him to keep watch for thirty more minutes.
"Why?" Scarlett led them around the corner and through the corridors that would lead them to the parking garage that stood alongside Refuge.
"You'll drive us a few miles down the road. Then we'll ditch your car and take mine back to SHIELD." Natasha explained though Scarlett didn't think it was much of an answer.
"And why not just take my car the whole way?" Scarlett punched in her code at the door before holding it open for Jinx and Natasha.
"Because the press knows your license plates. They sit outside and wait for you to leave so they can snap a few pictures of you doing something story-worthy."
"Oh, right, that." Scarlett grimaced. Often she forgot that she was a media flytrap. She was learning to be more careful but she didn't really want to be either. Thankfully nothing had blown her cover. "Won't they just follow you then?"
"Not if we're careful."
"If I'm careful then we can just take my car." Scarlett chuckled and led them to the lowest floor of the parking garage where she had her designated parking spot. She almost always had her car there when she wasn't using it. Most of what she did on a daily basis was designed to create an illusion of the woman the media wanted her to be. The cars were one of her favorite parts of the illusory life she led.
Scarlett loved cars. Fast cars to be precise. At the moment she was enjoying a new Ferrari 458 in a shade of dark blue. Scarlett wasn't a big fan of Ferraris but that particular car had some very sleek lines. Even people who didn't know cars knew that Ferraris were a luxury.
"It's not worth the risk. We're doing it my way." Natasha climbed into the passenger seat. The car wasn't really designed for too many people. Jinx was probably very uncomfortable in the backseat.
"Of course we will. That's how this works now." Scarlett grumbled, getting behind the wheel of her car. Once the doors were closed, she turned over the engine and shifted the car into gear. Driving was one of the few things that she was able to do these days that released tension.
No amount of driving could help how frustrated she was right now.
"Don't be like that." Natasha gestured to the road. "Make a left and keep driving toward the water. Try to lose any tail you pick up on the way." Scarlett did as she was told no matter how she didn't want to. Her friendship with Natasha had gone through a steep transition due to her responsibility to SHIELD. "The last thing we need is to have to explain any of this. They're already waiting for you to slip up."
"At some point SHIELD will have to think of something. How long do you think we can realistically keep this under wraps?" Scarlett sighed with annoyance each time Natasha guided her through the streets. "And if SHIELD lets me do fieldwork then the rumors will fly. They knew what I was from the beginning. I don't see why it's suddenly such a big deal."
"It's all a lot of ifs right now, Scarlett." Natasha was suddenly sounding less than supportive.
"Fine, Black Widow, do you see a tail? I don't. But I have to approve every decision I make, so would you please?"
"Stop it." Natasha shoved Scarlett's shoulder.
"You stop it."
"There's no one on your tail." Natasha remarked after silence fell in the car.
The mood was tense.
"I have a very bad feeling." Jinx whispered, leaning forward from the uncomfortable backseat. She peeked between the two women. "We should turn back. Wait until morning to do this. You have to go in anyway to see Mickey, so Widow could just meet us there. Talk while you're busy." Natasha turned in the passenger seat.
"You have a bad feeling? Should we turn around?" Natasha was very serious. Jinx was known for her bad feelings. Jinx nodded. Scarlett made a skeptical sound of disapproval.
"She's told me every single day for the past two months that a building is going to collapse on me. So, does that feel accurate? I've had some rotten luck, yeah, but we knew that before Julianna here predicted it. She's not precognitive. She knows enough about the situation to wager an educated guess. You and I both know that, Natasha. No offense, Jinx, but you can't expect me to believe any of this."
"You're wrong, but no offense taken."
"She was right about this morning. She called Stark showing up out of the blue. Which we still have to talk about by the way. He's Iron Man. Conflict of interest."
"What's to talk about? He wants to do business."
"With you?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I know Stark and I know you." Natasha threw her a suspicious glance which she returned out of the corner of her eye. "I know what's going to end up happening and it's about five letters short of business."
"You're being ridiculous. It's just work. And I haven't agreed to it yet. That and it's just a coincidence that he lines up with Jinx's cards. She was bound to get lucky at some point. No offense again."
"That one hurt a little."
"Sorry."
"Hey, Scarlett, your favorite Thai place! Let's just… stop here, grab some Thai, and forget this ever happened." Jinx suggested. "I know you love curry."
"We're busy right now, Jinx. If you're still hungry afterward then we'll grab something. Stop trying to keep me from getting to SHIELD." Scarlett turned again as Natasha directed. "Even if you have a bad feeling, I'm doing this." Her unyielding tone ended the conversation. There was no arguing with her.
Sitting around helpless was not in Scarlett's repertoire. It was killing her. There were so few people on this planet that she wanted to protect. One of them died in India already. Even if SHIELD didn't approve her request to get involved, she would make certain something was done. It was all so unfair. MedCo destroyed innocent lives just to get to her. She was the one who should be suffering their wrath, not the people who loved her.
Using the people she cared about against her was a cowardly move. But it was one that worked. MedCo and Scott expected her to jump to protect the people she left behind. And Scarlett would. But she wasn't even getting a chance to make the sacrifice play.
It was lucky that there were so few people in Scarlett's life. Those that remained were either in the car with her or were capable of protecting themselves. At least she hoped they were.
This was definitely the worst breakup she'd ever gone through. Not to mention the shitstorm in the wake of it. She kept replaying it over in her head, what she could have done differently to protect people.
Stop it. She insisted. What mattered was the present. What she could do. Not what was already done. Even if what she did had ended the life of the man who looked out for her while she was running dangerous missions.
"There's a parking garage by the wharf. It's been safe to use. The paparazzi don't come out this far looking for you." Natasha guided and Scarlett only nodded in response. She was no longer in the mood to chat. She was instead thinking of a way to make it up to her handler's family. She hoped beyond hope that they weren't caught in the crossfire. It was impossible for them not to be, realistically. It was her fault that their family was without a husband and a father. If they were even still alive.
Then her heart sunk. Even if she could figure out how to get to them, that meant MedCo could too. She would leave them be. She'd done enough harm. Scarlett was bad blood now. Everything she touched caught fire. She'd never forgive herself. No more getting anyone caught in her web. But she couldn't let sleeping dogs lie, either. When they spoke to Nick Fury, which would hopefully be tonight, she would see what they could do to help the family. Maybe SHIELD could protect them. Not that SHIELD had protected her very well.
The list of things to discuss with Nick Fury grew longer and longer. But he'd only agreed to speak with her in that first meeting. All other attempts had been declined.
"Park on the first floor. Your car's expensive. Stay near the security booth."
"Thanks for the sarcasm. Jealous, maybe?" Scarlett pulled through the parking garage entrance after taking a ticket from the counter.
"Not even a little."
"It's not too late for us to grab dinner. I think we could all use a nice drink to take the edge off." Jinx smiled hopefully as Scarlett parked. Her voice was shaking.
"We can't make her do anything she doesn't want to do, Jinx. So enough pouting. Scarlett's a big girl and she can decide what she wants to do without us pressuring her." Natasha unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to look back at Jinx who was, indeed, pouting.
"Damn straight."
"Even if she's just received devastating news. Even if she's not behaving like she's upset by it and making rash, emotional decisions. Even when all she should be doing right now is going home, having a strong drink, and mourning the loss of a friend."
"I don't mourn." Scarlett got out of the car and slammed the door shut. She waited for the others to be out of the car and set the alarm. "I get even." She followed Natasha through the near empty parking garage and toward a set of stairs at the far end near the water. She could hear it lapping over the rocks below.
"Sure. You could do that. Get even." Natasha was cold. "Hunt them down. Kill them. Make them pay. And what will that accomplish? Would it alleviate your grief? Would it bring him back? Or would you be putting off that grief to deal with later? Get your hands a little bloodier, Scarlett. Remember how hollow it feels." She led the way up the stairs. "And see what it does to you. See if you make it that long. You're barely making it now. Get yourself killed. Is that what you want? Isn't that why you came to me in the first place? To stay alive?"
Scarlett stopped short and slammed her hand onto the metallic railing. The resulting clang echoed through the stairwell and left them in silence. Natasha and Jinx turned to face her. Scarlett was glaring daggers at Natasha. Jinx shifted uncomfortably alongside them.
There were a hundred things Scarlett wanted to say but there was no point. She let go of the railing, then walked around Jinx and Natasha and up the stairs. She pushed the heavy door on the top floor open without the two SHIELD Agents to escort her.
Natasha waited at the top of the flight of stairs and watched the door close. Jinx stood alongside her. They had every right to worry about their charge. They couldn't help her if she didn't let them.
"Give her time, Widow." Jinx's whisper was nervous.
"Time isn't on her side. And if SHIELD gives her approval to get back in the field, she'll have even less." Natasha followed through the doors, shaking her head in dismay.
"They'll never approve. She's in no shape to go back in the field. We both know that." Jinx followed. "I wish we'd gone for Thai."
They found Scarlett leaning against the railing of the parking garage, looking out at the Boston lights again. The anger that overcame her in the hall was gone and she was left looking weary. Sometimes Scarlett looked just like Natasha remembered her. Sometimes, Natasha saw the cracks in her facade. She would try to convince Nick Fury that Scarlett wasn't well enough to go into the field.
"We're talking to Fury tonight. As soon as we can." Scarlett broke the tense silence. "Even if they don't put me back in the field, I have to know what happened. I have to know details."
"We're going to. But I don't think this is going to offer you the comfort you're looking for." Natasha placed her hand on Scarlett's back soothingly.
"I'd like to once again remind you that I have a bad feeling." Jinx followed as the duo walked across the well-lit parking garage to where Natasha's SUV was waiting for them.
"I know you're worried about me. I get it." Scarlett walked backwards, clutch under her arm. "I also know that I'm stubborn. And I agreed to much of this. But it is still my life. I have to be able to fight for it. I appreciate everything SHIELD has done for me. They've kept me alive. In a panic, I sought safety but this is still my fight."
Natasha didn't get to reply. Something caught her eye in the darkness facing the water and was followed by a faint, familiar sound.
"Get down!" She pulled her gun and ducked onto the floor of the garage. Scarlett and Jinx did exactly as they were instructed. Shots were fired from the darkness, raining from overhead and colliding with concrete. They whistled alarmingly close.
"Take cover!" Scarlett shouted, crouching low. The hail of bullets paused and the unmistakable sound of a helicopter closed in. There were no lights coming from the chopper but the sound was close. Natasha went left and Scarlett and Jinx went right, ducking behind other cars. The vehicles were temporary cover. They'd have to take down the helicopter or make a break for it. But if it pursued them, they would be in trouble.
"We have to take it down!" Natasha shouted.
"Aim for the rotor. Throw it off balance!" Scarlett instructed. Jinx was covering her ears nearby.
More gunfire and they moved to cover further within the garage. Natasha waited for the sound to cease before stepping away from safety. Voices, barely audible, shouted from the helicopter. Skillfully, she fired her weapon. She kept an eye on the shadows moving within the chopper. She knew well enough the sound of a weapon being cocked.
"Tasha!" Scarlett shouted, leaving her cover. "Stay hidden, Bennett!"
"You don't have to tell me twice!"
Natasha hid behind the concrete barrier when the automatic weapon whirred and fired again. Scarlett ducked behind a group of cars and watched as bullets sprayed the parking garage. Some passed through the cars too close for comfort and others missed entirely. Thankfully the accuracy of their weapon was fairly low. When the lull in bullets came a second time, Scarlett and Natasha emerged from their hiding places.
Natasha aimed for the pilot, cracking the glass with her first shot. Scarlett kept her aim on the rotor. If she threw the chopper off balance, it would be forced to retreat, land, or crash. Natasha changed her aim toward the man reloading the large gun. The ammunition fell from his hand and clattered somewhere below, forcing him to start over.
"Get down, you son of a bitch." Scarlett gritted her teeth, reloading her gun. She walked forward boldly and fired at the rotor. Finally, the rotor smoked and the whole chopper swayed. But her plan worked too well and the helicopter spun out of control. It swung and the blades collided with the concrete of the parking garage! Sparks ignited and debris flew but the chopper was forced away from the building and went crashing into the water with a tremendous splash.
They waited with baited breath for backup but none came. Jinx dared to leave her hiding place. Scarlett checked her clip to count how many bullets remained. Not enough. She joined Natasha and Jinx.
"Is everyone alright?" She kept glancing over her shoulder, expecting a follow up. The floor of the parking garage was littered with bullets and shell casings. They were lucky they'd stopped the helicopter before they were out of ammo.
"What the hell?" Natasha cleared her throat and then offered Scarlett an extra clip of ammunition which she thanked her for.
"MedCo." The answer was simple. There was no question. Scarlett was surprised Scott hadn't leapt out of the helicopter and pursued her, threatening some unrealistic torment. "I guess they wanted to make sure I received your message. They're officially on the offensive."
"Let's get out of here while we can. Send backup to handle the mess." Natasha readied her car keys. Jinx stared toward the door they'd come through, pale.
"I have a bad feeling."
Scarlett grabbed Jinx's hand and guided her to the black SUV at the far end of the parking garage but didn't make it there. The stairwell door slammed open and a dozen armed men dressed all in black and wearing gasmasks filed inside. Natasha closed the distance between her and the others.
"Get in the car and go. We'll keep them busy." Natasha whispered, weapon at the ready.
"Not a chance." Scarlett tossed her clutch next to the SUV so it wouldn't be in her way, holding the other clip in the top of her dress. They were outnumbered but they'd dealt with worse. This was what she and Natasha did best.
The armed men rushed forward, surrounding them, aiming their weapons threateningly. A tall, muscular man stepped forward and spoke in a distorted voice through his gas mask. "We don't want to hurt you. We're here for Miss Damien."
"Predictable." Scarlett rolled her eyes and readied her gun.
"She's previously engaged, I'm afraid." Natasha took a quick count of the men. Scarlett was ready by her side.
The assailants didn't strike. They hesitated. Interesting. They didn't want to hurt them. Orders were to take her alive. Very interesting. She would use that to her advantage.
"Ladies." Scarlett looked to her friends, speaking with resignation as though she were going to hand herself over. She exchanged a glance with Natasha. Then she stepped forward and aimed at the lights overhead. With the remaining three bullets in her gun, she took out the surrounding lights. They were plunged into darkness. The three women separated to divide and conquer their enemies.
Natasha holstered her weapon and rushed the nearest assailant. The men were scattering. Some ran toward the lights that remained on while others ventured further into the darkness. They wouldn't shoot Scarlett, but they would be willing to hurt her and Jinx. Natasha grasped onto the man's arm as he swung, bent it backward, then twisted it around. The gun fell from his hand and so Natasha crouched low, dismantled it, and tossed it behind her.
When he withdrew a knife and sliced, she leapt out of the way. From her belt, Natasha withdrew two small discs attached by a small wire. With a click of a button shaped like a red hourglass, she pulled the wires further apart. She twisted them around his wrist and spun him in place. His arm was temporarily tangled. With a twist, Natasha pulled the wires free then wrapped them around his neck. She pulled hard and ducked low. He was far taller but still succumbed to her strength. He struggled briefly then fell limp.
A second attacker came to his aid but he was too slow. Natasha slid between his legs and he fired a blind shot in the dark. By the time he realized he'd missed, Natasha was on his back, arms wrapped around his neck. He fell just as quickly as his friend had, limp in a pile beneath her.
Jinx squealed as she ducked out of the way of one of the men but was grabbed around the waist. Natasha walked toward them with purpose and triggered the tasers on each of her wrists. She would try to get through this without taking lives. Jinx ducked out of the man's arms just as the needles pierced the assailant. He spasmed and shook until Natasha released the wires. Jinx kicked the man shaking on the ground and he passed out. Then she retrieved his gun with a shaky hand.
"Sorry." Jinx patted his shoulder sympathetically. She was far softer than Natasha and Scarlett were. Jinx surveyed the room and ran into the light and across the parking garage toward elevator doors. She found the breaker box. It was locked. Turning the pistol in her hand she smashed the grip of the gun against the lock until it broke. Then she pulled the handle and opened the box.
She flipped the rest of the lights off and the top floor of the garage was left with nothing but the night to light it up. Then she flipped on half the breakers before flipping them off again. If she could create confusion for their assailants then it could give them the upperhand. Scarlett and Natasha were professionals. They could handle a few flickering lights.
Before Scarlett could take out the remaining lights, Jinx had done it instead and in a far more efficient way. Most of the men were hunting for her in the darkness. She was their target. So she waited for them to find her. They would regret mistaking her for prey.
The first man who found her made a sloppy grab for her. She twisted out of the way and slammed her heel straight into his foot. It pierced his boot. He howled in pain but still grabbed for her. She smashed her elbow into his flimsy gas mask hard enough to break it and then smashed again at his nose beneath. He hunched forward to hold his face that now gushed blood into his mask. Scarlett grabbed his left arm, knocked the gun out of it, and then twisted it hard behind him. She pulled until she felt his shoulder pop out of joint.
His cry of pain didn't stop her. She wasn't going to show MedCo or anyone who worked with them any mercy. He collapsed on the ground and she stepped hard against the joint she dislocated. He passed out from the pain. Why should she show them mercy? They hadn't showed her handler mercy when they hunted him down and made an example out of him.
If MedCo wanted to send her a message then she would send one right back and let them know just how she felt.
When she stood, another assailant grabbed her. She batted him off artfully but he grasped her wrist and spun her around so her back was pressed to his chest. He placed his arms around her neck to try and subdue her. She managed to slip her hand between his arm and her throat to keep him from blocking her airway. Instead, he pulled a needle from his belt and readied it. Scarlett could smell something sweet she definitely didn't want coursing through her veins.
"Son of a…" Scarlett gritted her teeth. Risking being strangled, she pulled her hand away and slammed her elbow hard into his stomach. He buckled but didn't give so she did it again. Then with her other hand, she grabbed his wrist to keep him from injecting her with whatever was in that needle. Her hand shook against his strength. She was so much weaker than she'd been only a month ago. Panic flickered through her. Whatever new drug this was, she didn't want it inside her making things worse.
"They have some kind of drug!" Scarlett warned so that her friends would be on the lookout. MedCo loved their drugs. Jinx shut off the lights again. The man holding Scarlett captive struggled, desperate to stick her with the needle. She risked being stuck and repositioned her hand on his wrist. She felt for his bones and tendons and when she found the right place, she snapped it as hard as she could.
The bone broke and his grip loosened on the needle that was stuck in her side but the plunger hadn't been pressed. She grabbed the needle, turned, and stabbed him in the side of the neck. Once the plunger had been pressed, she released the needle and stepped away. He choked and then collapsed. Scarlett checked his pulse. It was steady. Hopefully nothing worse than a sedative. MedCo did deplorable experiments with their drugs. Everything from genetic mutations to debilitating viruses. The lights flickered back on and Scarlett rushed to her discarded bag.
She grabbed her phone and dialed SHIELD. Someone instantly picked up, much to her relief.
"We need backup! We're at the wharf!" Scarlett shouted out the closest intersection but then the phone was knocked from her hand. The screen shattered on the ground. Scarlett cursed and backed up from the man who had his hands up in fists, ready for a fight. In the distance, sirens approached but not from SHIELD. Someone must have heard the chaos.
"Wrap it up! Grab the cargo and go!" One of the men yelled. Another threw something amongst the group. A smoke grenade. A cloud of white smoke stung at her eyes. Scarlett put distance between her and the smoke and she saw Natasha do the same across the way.
There was a thud. "I'm sorry! I hate doing that!" Jinx shouted. She must have knocked someone out.
"Are you okay?" Natasha shouted over the chaos. The smoke spread and Scarlett lost sight of her friends. She pulled off her heels and threw them aside. They were coming for her. She was the cargo. One of them caught up to her and grabbed her. Scarlett pressed her bare feet against the nearby wall and pushed off of it. The momentum freed her from his grasp and she spun, grabbed him by his arm and swung so he would slam into the wall. She kicked the back of his knee and he fell.
He rolled onto his back but Scarlett kicked him in the stomach, then knelt and punched him in the same spot. Standing, she pressed her bare foot to his throat and stepped hard enough to knock him unconscious. He passed out and she pulled her foot away, lip curling in a snarl.
"Finally getting to release some pent up aggression." Scarlett responded to Natasha, coughing through the smoke that stung at her eyes. Jinx flipped the lights back on. She could see the silhouettes of her friends.
"I'm okay!" Jinx shouted. "Not sure this guy will be though."
Natasha laughed but stopped short. Scarlett watched as a man stepped from the smoke, gun aimed right at her friend. Scarlett made to hurry to her aid but Natasha nodded to let her know it was okay. She held her hands up in surrender, having pulled a small device off of her belt before doing so.
"Here, take this." Natasha pretended to offer her hands for surrender and instead handed him the device. He looked puzzled but only for a second before it burst into a spectacle of electricity that shocked him into unconsciousness. "Let's get to the car and get out of here." Natasha threw the keys at Jinx who was running toward her. Jinx grabbed the keys and then shrieked as a gunshot whistled past her. She crouched and fired toward the silhouette behind her then ran out of sight.
Natasha jumped into action, pulled the shooter's arm, and when he crouched forward, she leapt over him and made to shock him with her taser. Instead she was met with the cold steel of a knife. It tore through her flesh like butter, slicing her arm. She spun away to avoid a second swipe. When he took another swing, the knife suddenly fell from his hands. Scarlett shot him in the shoulder. He collapsed and Scarlett ran to her friend's side. Natasha held her bloodied arm.
"Are you okay?" Scarlett was too concerned with her friend and it was too late. A tremendous shock tore through her body and she collapsed from the current rushing through the needles that stuck right through her dress into her back. She could taste metal in the back of her throat and tried to fight the terrible feeling. Her fingers and toes went numb and her head spun, threatening with unconsciousness. Her focus was failing. She grit her teeth and fought.
The charge passed after what felt like an eternity but was likely only a few seconds. Two men were on her at once. One pinned her face down onto the ground. She tried to struggle but she couldn't feel her hands properly.
"Tasha! Fuck!" Scarlett needed help. But the prick in her arm came quickly. Whatever it was burned as it entered her veins. And that was it. Scarlett passed out.
Natasha rushed through the smoke toward Scarlett's cry. She was helpless on the ground and one of the men was cuffing her hands behind her back. Natasha dove blindly at him, knocking him aside. He slid hard on the concrete. She pressed her hand to his chest and shocked him until he fell unconscious. "Scarlett!" The second assailant came toward her, gun aimed at her chest. The squealing of tires was Natasha's sign to step back. An SUV rammed the gunman and he rolled over the hood and over the car before Jinx slammed hard on the brakes.
The smoke was clearing and only one assailant remained and he was retreating. "Scarlett, talk to me!" Natasha asked but the brunette stayed motionless on the ground, handcuffed.
Angry, Natasha pulled her gun from its holster and shot the remaining assailant twice in the shoulder. He fell to the ground and didn't get back up.
Jinx got out of the SUV, leaving the keys in the ignition. She ran around the back of the car and pushed away the man she'd hit. Natasha holstered her weapon and ran to Scarlett who was still not responding. She knelt by her side and found the needle still piercing her arm, the plunger half-pressed. She picked up the needle and smelled it but couldn't detect what it was. They'd have to run tests on what remained to make sure it wasn't going to make things worse. Hopefully it was just a sedative and they could avoid the hospital.
"Scarlett!" Jinx took a wary step closer. Natasha nodded.
"Her pulse is jumpy but she's alive. Not sure what they gave her and if it's making it jump like that." Natasha freed Scarlett of her handcuffs and rolled her onto her back and her head lopped to the side. She made certain Scarlett was breathing properly.
"Do you know what it is?"
"No idea. Careful with it." Natasha handed Jinx the needle. "Let's hope all it did was knock her out. We'll need to figure out exactly what's in there." Natasha instructed and Jinx scrambled for her bag and found a series of smaller baggies inside where she stuck the needle within several to keep it safe.
The sirens were getting closer. They had to go.
"If the police find Scarlett Damien here the media shitstorm will be beyond fixing."
"I know." Natasha sighed. "Help me lift her. She's too damn tall." Between the two women they managed to pick Scarlett up and lay her in the backseat of the car. Once they were sure she wouldn't go rolling around they shut the doors and got into the SUV. Jinx jumped back out to grab Scarlett's bag, heels, and cellphone.
"This is Black Widow. We had an incident at the parking garage near the wharf. We'll need help cleaning up the incoming mess. Damien's car cannot be noticed. We're coming in. Have medical assistance ready upon arrival. Sending coordinates now."