Forgotten Ghost | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 65: Waterloo

Natasha subtly turned around in her chair, glimpsing at the woman. ''Looking over your shoulder needs to become second nature.''

''Anybody ever tell you you're a little paranoid?''

Katya almost burst out laughing at Sam's dry voice, which didn't help prove her innocence. He was up on a roof somewhere, keeping overview on the whole mission. Who better to do that than a birdman?

''Not to my face. Why? Did you hear something?'' It was that Natasha sat with her back to Katya, otherwise she would have risked throwing a glare in her direction. 

''It wasn't me,'' Katya defended herself, trying to stay serious but unable to completely mask the playful tone in her voice. 

Steve all but sighed, shifting his weight from one leg to another. He must think he was working with a bunch of children. ''Eyes on target, folks. This is the best lead we've had on Rumlow in six months. I don't want to lose him.''

Once again, Sam was there with a sarcastic reply. ''If he sees us coming, that won't be a problem. He kind of hates us.''

Katya chuckled through her earpiece. ''Correction, he hates you. His fragile masculinity was broken when you beat him in that fight in the Triskelion.'' She raised her hands in surrender when Steve told her to be serious for a second. It was maybe best not to test his patience today since he was so on edge.

''I didn't beat him. I jumped ship before the building came down on me, he didn't.''

''Sam, see that garbage truck? Tag it.'' Steve steered the conversation back on track, an old, rusty garbage truck pushing through the streets roughly, impatiently. These were the kinds of details Katya perked up for. Things a normal person wouldn't even notice, wouldn't think twice about. But you always found something suspicious if you kept looking long enough.  

It wasn't long until Redwing -the stupid name Sam had given his little drone thingy- appeared, although nobody on the street saw or heard him. People generally were so unaware of the things happening around them. 

Redwing flew under the truck, scanning it for X-ray, the rest of the team patiently waiting. 

''That truck's loaded for max weight. And the driver's armed,'' Sam finally said. Katya knew what that meant before Natasha had said it.

''It's a battering ram.''

Great minds think alike.

''Go now,'' Steve ordered them, a plan forming in his head. 

''What?'' Wanda didn't understand, causing her to panic.

''He's not hitting the police,'' Katya replied, already halfway down the hallway of the hotel. Her footsteps were silent on the soft but worn carpet. It wasn't the nicest hotel, but they were forced to pick this one for the view. ''For Christ sake, why can't a mission ever go like we want it to?''

She pulled the hood of her jacket up to hide her face from the people inside, but why was she even trying when Steve caught up with her, dressed in full uniform with that Frisbee of Freedom in his hand. 

''Then it wouldn't be any fun,'' Natasha answered her, even though Katya didn't expect anyone to have heard her soft outburst. Through her comms, the redheads quick footsteps on the pavement accompanied her silent breathing. 

Katya set her first few steps outside when the truck crashed into the barrier in front of the Institute For Infectious Diseases, a loud boom echoing between the stone walls of the buildings around. She couldn't see it, not yet, but from the screaming of the people, she knew where to go.