𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄━︎━︎ N. Romanoff ✓︎

𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐞

CHAPTER NINE:
I DID LOVE YOU

NATASHA LOOKED AT THE MAN, her eyes narrowed into slits as she looked at the man, clenching her jaw as she tried to figure out what the hell he was trying to blame her for. She tried to think back to when she was indeed an assassin that worked for someone other than S.H.I.E.L.D., trying to remember a point in time to which she had done something in order to make the man in front of her so angry. No matter what she said, Alec refused to believe her.

He was down to only three slots lefts. Which meant she had the possibility of two chances left in order to try and convince him that she wasn't the killer. But he was having fun. She could see that in his eyes. Revenge surrounded them, she swore that if his eyes could change color they would be blood red with vengeance. But his smirk danced with something else. He had amusement on his lips, watching her squirm in her seat as he kept his mesmerizing eyes focused sorely on her.

     He cocked his head slightly. "You told me once that I was the only one that was able to get under your skin. I can't help but wonder if that's true."

     "You're not listening to me Alec." Natasha told him, trying to stay calm. She'd like to believe that he wouldn't hurt her. There used to be a point in time where they wouldn't hurt one another, they stuck together, even worked together sometimes. "You don't have to kill me."

     "Why not?" Alec snarled making, his eyes narrowed. "It's the least I can do. Put you out of your own misery before someone else does. I'd like to say I owe you that much."

     "What happened?" Natasha questioned. It hurt her physically to see him like this. She had met him when his only goal was to keep him and his sister alive and striving. He had never been so cruel to her before, even when she had been cruel to him. It was true. Natasha's original mission had in fact been to eliminate Alec. For he had been quick to become known in the world of the killers. He was as lethal as Natasha was. He could speak several different languages, he could trick anyone into saying whatever he wanted them to say. He was just that good, and he learned that all by himself. She wanted to know his secret. How he had trained himself so quickly and had pushed his emotions to the side so easily.

     "Don't you remember what we promised?" Natasha questioned him. "We were both ruthless killers, and yet we managed to find strength to feel something for one another in order to promise that we wouldn't hurt each other. So what happened?"

     "My sister was killed! That's what happened!" He yelled. Natasha flinched. "That promise was bullshit, and we both know it. Sooner or later, we were going to turn on each other. This was how it was always supposed end, Natasha. This is how we were supposed to end, with our guns pointing at one another, waiting to see who would pull the trigger first." He scoffed, clenching his jaw as he shook his head. "There was never really an us, Natasha. You lied about that too. But I was dumb enough to believe that a heartless monster such as you could ever love! You don't have it in you. You weren't wired that way."

     "Neither were you, Alec!" Natasha argued back. "We aren't supposed to be emotional. We're killers, assassins." Natasha clenched her jaw, her eyes never leaving his as she swallowed thickly, her voice shaking slightly as she spoke. There was no point in hiding how she felt anymore. So, she let the tears fill her eyes. "But, I did love you, Alec. Even if I didn't want to believe I did."

     "Liar." He pointed the gun at her face, ready to pull the trigger. "The fake tears, they don't work on me anymore, Natasha."

     "Look into my eyes." Natasha told him. "You always said that you could see through my façade. That I always had a sign in my eyes to tell you whether or not I was lying. So, look me in my eyes, Alexander, and tell me if I'm lying."  Alec looked at the woman, his jaw clenching before he forced himself to look into her eyes, reading them like he used to all those years ago. And he didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to believe she was telling the truth, and maybe that was why he refused to recognize that spark in her eyes that proved she wasn't lying.

     A tear fell down his cheek. "You killed my sister."

     "I didn't." Natasha shook her head. "I didn't even know Rory was dead."

     "Don't call her that!" He yelled. "You don't get to call her that."

     "Alec, please." Natasha whispered. "Look, if you walk away now, my team won't know you were ever here."

     "I don't give a damn about whether or not your damn team knows I'm here." Alec told her. "In fact, I don't care if they shoot me down. Just as long as I get the chance to kill you first."

     "I didn't kill, Aurora, Alec." Natasha sternly told him. "I'm telling the truth."

     "Well, somebody did. And the only person that knew of my sister's existence besides me was you." Alec snarled. "And somebody's gotta pay." He shot the gun, but nothing happened. Two slots left. She was taking her chance.

     "Alec, listen to me." He shot the gun again, once again nothing happened. Natasha clenched her jaw as she looked at the man. Alec's finger hovered over the trigger, ready to kill her, but the next words that Natasha spoke made him freeze. "Someone else knew about Aurora." Alec stopped, and Natasha swallowed thickly before meeting his eyes. "And I know who they are. And I can help you find him."